The Corporation of Delta COUNCIL REPORT F.03 Regular Meeting

To: Mayor and Council

From: Human Resources and Corporate Planning Department Date: January 20, 2016

George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project - Environmental Assessment

The following report has been reviewed and endorsed by the Chief Administrative Officer.

III RECOMMENDATIONS:

A. THAT this report and attached comments on the Project Description and Key Areas of Study document be provided to the BC Environmental Assessment Office. B. THAT a copy of this report be provided to: a. Scott Hamilton, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Delta North b. Vicki Huntington, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Delta South c. Environment Advisory Committee

III PURPOSE:

To provide information on the environmental assessment process for the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project and seek Council's endorsement of comments on the Key Areas of Study for the environmental assessment.

III BACKGROUND:

The proposed George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project (the Project) has triggered the requirement for an environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act. The project meets the threshold for review under two categories:

The proposed Project involves a modification of an existing public highway that results in the addition of equal to or greater than 2 lanes of paved public highway to an existing paved public highway over a continuous distance of equal to or greater than 20 kilometres; and Page 2 of 4 George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project - Environmental Assessment January 20,2016

The proposed Project involves a dismantling or abandonment of an existing shoreline modification facility that, if it were a new facility, would entail dredging, filling, or other direct physical disturbance of equal to or greater than 2 hectares of foreshore or submerged land, or a combination of foreshore and submerged land, below the natural boundary of an estuary.

The scope of the proposed Project does not meet the threshold for review as a "Designated Project" under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. This Act applies to international or interprovincial bridges, or bridges over the St. Lawrence Seaway. The threshold for review for highway projects is if it is a new road greater than 50 kilometers in length. There is no corresponding federal trigger related to the disturbance of foreshore or submerged land.

The Project is in the "pre-application" phase of the BC Environmental Assessment process. Delta staff are participating on the BC Environmental Assessment Office's working group which includes representatives from federal and provincial agencies, regional and municipal government staff and First Nations. The working group is the principal forum for the technical review of the proposed Project, with members providing advice to the Environmental Assessment Office and the proponent on technical issues that fall within each working group member's mandate. Staff attended a full day working group meeting on January 21, 2016.

The BC Environmental Assessment Office is seeking public and working group member comments on the proposed valued components that are presented in the Project Description and Key Areas of Study document that has been submitted by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The public comment period on the Project Description and Key Areas of Study is from January 15, 2016 to February 15,2016 and includes open houses in Richmond and Delta. These are on January 26, 2016 at the Sandman Signature Hotel Airport and on January 27, 2016 at the Delta Town and Country Inn. Both open houses are from 2 pm to 8 pm. This information has been promoted on Delta's website. There will be another public comment period once the environmental assessment application is submitted

III DISCUSSION:

The 49 page Project Description and Key Areas of Study Document (the Document) outlines at a high level what the potential impacts from the Project may be and how these impacts will be studied further and assessed. In general, the key areas of study selected are comprehensive and staff have not identified any major gaps.

Key values proposed for study as part of the environmental assessment include:

Environmental values, such as fisheries, wildlife and wildlife habitat;

• Human health including influences on health, such as air quality and noise;

• Social and community factors including those related to land and water use (including agricultural land use); Page 3 of 4 George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project - Environmental Assessment January 20,2016

• Economic conditions including employment and economic development benefits associated with the Project; and

• Heritage resources such as archaeological values.

Studies of these values will assist in identifying potential Project-related effects as well as opportunities to avoid or mitigate such effects and will be reported in the Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate.

Given the Document is an outline of what is proposed to be studied, staff have compiled a number of comments on specific items seeking confirmation they will be addressed in the detailed studies that are underway and the formal environmental assessment application to be completed. These comments are included as Attachment A and relate to community and traffic impacts during construction, air quality, agriculture, wildlife, vegetation, stormwater management, and land uses. Staff will also have the opportunity to raise these comments through the Working Group's review of the draft Application Information Requirements which will provide greater details related to the specific studies to be undertaken.

A key issue of significance to Delta not specifically noted in the Document is the assessment of temporary impacts related to construction staging and the use of temporary roads and the effects this may have on the community. It is requested that these impacts be included in the environmental assessment application.

The effects of removing the tunnel on river hydraulics including how this may affect the salt wedge in the are included in the proposed key areas of study. This is of specific interest to the agricultural community with respect to any potential changes in the salinity of river water at irrigation intakes.

Next steps

The comments received by the Environmental Assessment Office will be considered during the finalization of the Application Terms of Reference for the Project. Once this is completed, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will then be in a position to submit its formal application for environmental assessment of the Project which includes the detailed studies related to the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project. After the Environmental Assessment Office has completed a completeness review to ensure the application meets the approved Application Information Requirements, there will be a 45 day public comment period on the application information and public open houses. The total review period is 180 days after the application is deemed complete.

Implications: Financial Implications - There are no financial implications. Page 4 of 4 George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project - Environmental Assessment January 20,2016

• CONCLUSION:

Staff are participating on the BC Environmental Assessment Office working group for the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project environmental assessment and will provide regular reports to Council throughout this process . The environmental assessment is currently in the pre-application phase which includes consultation on the Key Areas of Study. It is recommended that staff comments on this document be provided to the BC En vironmental Assessment Office. ~~ Director of Human Resources and Corporate Planning

Department submission prepared by: Mike Brotherston, Manager of Climate Action and Environment

This report has been prepared in consultation with the following listed departments.

Department Name Signature Community Planning & Jeff Day Develo ment Engineering Steven Lan

• ATTACHMENT:

A. Staff comments on Project Description and Key Areas of Study document

,j Attachment A Page 1 of 3 Delta Staff Comments on Project Description and Key Areas of Study Document

General Environment

1. The application should clearly outline any improvements or benefits to water quality through best management practices, new plantings, compensation works and/or drainage system improvements proposed.

L 2. Ensure the application outlines the impacts to wetlands and intertidal areas by area (m ) and location. Wetlands appear to be indirectly addressed as part of the amphibian assessment but the document does not directly address impacts to wetlands and intertidal areas.

Vegetation

1. The Project Description includes a range of vegetation impacts but impacts are not specific or quantified. The report states that most of the project occurs in grassy areas within the highway right of way. There are sensitive habitats, trees and possibly hedgerows in the right of way e.g. Green Slough and the crossings. The relevant study completed should include how vegetation impacts will be evaluated, mitigated and compensated. Several categories of habitat and vegetation impact should be included: natural areas, parks and recreation areas, trees, and hedgerows.

2. Specific language about impacts to, and compensation for, lost hedgerows and trees should be included in the report to be completed.

3. There is a compensation wetland set aside on the north side of the Deas approach. Ensure this area is assessed in the application materials.

Wildlife

1. The document lists some species-at-risk without mentioning their status, e.g. White Sturgeon. A separate IISpecies at Risk" section should be included in the application information which includes how works will address species-at-risk and critical habitat (if present). The document outlines plant species-at-risk and ecosystems at risk but not species-at-risk animals.

Agriculture

1. The project needs to ensure access to irrigation water across the highway during and post construction. Several farmers are dependent on this and construction can impede the movement of water at critical times.

2. The application should include a description of how drainage capacity under the highway is retained. It should explicitly state that existing culvert sizes will be maintained, their elevation, and flow area of culverts. Old culverts or highway crossings need to be reviewed and likely replaced to prevent incidents such as sink holes. Attachment A Page 2 of 3

Health 1. The assessment should consider looking at post-construction air quality monitoring in order to assess any changes to local air quality and validate predictions of improved air quality resulting from the Project.

Recreation

1. There is little mention of recreational activities for both land and water in the vicinity of the bridge crossing location. Within the Project footprint is the well-used Millennium Trail and there is also significant use of the water for boating and rowing in and around Deas Slough. It is recommended that a separate "recreation" section be included in the application.

2. Existing cycling linkages need to be maintained and, if necessary, enhanced during and after construction.

Residential

1. Within the description of residential land uses, there was no acknowledgement of the Marina Gardens community and particularly the newly developing areas which will support hundreds of new residents. There is only one sentence "Residential uses in the vicinity of the Project in Delta including the marinas in Deas Slough west and east of the Tunnel, and a residential area on River Road South, east of Highway 99.". This statement seems to exclude the whole Marina Gardens area but for the marina. It is should be confirmed that the application information will assess impacts to these local residential areas.

Heritage

1. There is a section on the history of the tunnel (Sec. 2.4). It is suggested that this historical significance also be mentioned under the section on "Heritage Resources". The tunnel is listed on Delta's Rural Heritage Inventory. Perhaps there may be some consideration of how the history could be commemorated or interpreted as part of the new project.

Construction & Related Facilities

3. Include in the application information the locations for temporary construction facilities and their relevant impacts. Describe their impact, if any or not, in detail as part of the Environmental Assessment review process, e.g. barging facilities, temporary roads and bridges, for the sake of clarity.

4. Include in the application information an assessment of the anticipated traffic delays that may occur during construction in terms of project phase and rush hour traffic times. Include what steps will be taken to reduce the delays.

5. With respect to maintaining the tunnel during construction, please include in the application information on the measures that will be taken to ensure the continued integrity of the tunnel during the Project. For example, include details such as best management practices that will site Attachment A Page 3 of 3

pilling equipment below the tunnel road elevation at the entrances to ensure minimal risk to the tunnel.

6. It is unclear in the Project Description if there will be additional traffic storage lanes during construction to ensure that secondary routes are not blocked. Will the Project include other traffic improvements during the construction window, e.g. improvements to the approaches to improve traffic flow during construction? And/or metering of traffic at Nordel and at Annacis Island and other road improvements/widening along the East-West connector to improve overall north -south traffic flow.

7. In the Project Description it is not specified if stormwater runoff from the bridge deck will be captured and conveyed to treatment areas adjacent to the bridge piers. It should be a requirement that bridge runoff is not permitted to freely run into the receiving environment, e.g. aquatic or terrestrial. Further, storm water management infrastructure must be designed and installed with the public recreation needs in mind.