PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 8.0 EFFECTS ASSESSMENT METHODS This section describes the methods used to assess potential Project-related effects, including cumulative effects. These methods have been developed to meet the requirements specified in the EIS Guidelines and are consistent with existing guidance documents, including the Operational Policy Statement Assessing Cumulative Environmental Effects Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEA Agency 2013) and Determining Whether a Project is Likely to Cause Significant Adverse Environmental Effects (CEA Agency 1994), the Cumulative Effects Assessment Practitioners’ Guide (Hegmann et al. 1999), and the Guideline for the Selection of Valued Components and Assessment of Potential Effects (EAO 2013), among others. The methods used, including the selection of VCs, allow the full consideration of the factors listed in subsection 19(1) and 19(2) of CEAA 2012, and section 79 of the Species at Risk Act. 8.1 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHODS The EIS Guidelines, part 1, section 3.1, describe the scope of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project as including the construction, operation, and, where relevant, decommissioning of the Project components and activities listed in the EIS Guidelines, part 2, sections 7.1 and 7.2. A detailed description of Project components (i.e., marine terminal, widened causeway, expanded tug basin) and physical activities to be carried out during Project construction, decommissioning of temporary construction-related facilities, and operation is provided in Section 4.0 Project Description. 8.1.1 Issues Scoping The EIS Guidelines, part 1, section 3.3, refer to valued components (VCs) as “attributes of the physical, biophysical, and human environment that may be affected by the project that have been identified to be of concern by the proponent, government agencies, Aboriginal peoples, and the public.” Valued components provide a means of focusing an assessment on those representative aspects of the natural and human environment that are of greatest importance in the context of the Project, as identified through the Project’s issues scoping process. The selected VCs must also satisfy the requirement to assess environmental effects identified in section 5 of CEAA 2012. This section describes the process of issues scoping, which is an important part of how the VCs were selected for the assessment. Page | 8-1 PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 As described in Section 2.3 Project Planning, Development, and Implementation, PMV and its predecessors have a long history of project development and operations on Roberts Bank, dating from establishment of the Roberts Bank Coal Port facility in 1970 to completion of the Deltaport Third Berth Project (DP3) in 2010. Throughout this period, PMV has actively engaged with federal and provincial regulatory agencies, Aboriginal groups, local governments and communities, stakeholders, and the public. Recently, consultation and engagement activities have focused on the Deltaport Terminal Road and Rail Improvement Project, a component of PMV’s Container Capacity Improvement Program (CCIP), and RBT2. This input is augmented by area-specific knowledge gained during environmental assessment studies and monitoring conducted in support of the Westshore Terminal expansion (completed in 1984), and development of the Deltaport Container Terminal (completed in 1997) and DP3. Collectively, this input comprises a comprehensive body of knowledge on potential biophysical, economic, social, heritage, and human health values in the Roberts Bank area. While initial planning for RBT2 was undertaken in 2003 and 2004 (see Section 5.0 Alternative Means of Carrying Out the Project), PMV initiated feasibility studies for the current RBT2 concept in 2010. As planning proceeded through the Project Definition phase and into the pre-design phase, PMV commenced a multi-year, multi-round engagement and consultation process. The purpose of these consultation efforts was to provide information about the proposed Project and seek input on potential Project-related issues from local, provincial, and federal governments and regulatory agencies, Aboriginal groups, communities, stakeholders, and the public (see Section 7.0 Engagement and Consultation). Project-specific comments and questions received during these consultation activities have been documented by PMV, and were a primary information source during issues scoping to identify and select Project VCs. The issues scoping process was also supported by discussions with scientists, technical experts, and representatives of regulatory agencies, academia, and non-government organisations who participated in the Project’s technical advisory group (TAG) process. As described further in Section 7.4 Technical Advisory Group Process (2012 to 2013), The TAG process focused on four key areas identified by PMV. Over the course of three to four full-day workshops, each TAG reviewed existing information and field study work plans, identified priority information needs and appropriate methods of effects assessment, and made recommendations to PMV to inform the development of this EIS. In addition, PMV led four Working Group (WG) meetings during EIS preparation, including meetings specifically focussed on VC selection. Information was shared and Project-related issues were discussed Page | 8-2 PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 with attendees including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEA Agency), federal authorities and agencies, provincial agencies, local governments, and Aboriginal groups. Both the CEA Agency and PMV contacted U.S. regulators in 2014 to inform them about the Project and identify potential trans-boundary issues. Refer to Section 7.1.1 Pre- Environmental Impact Statement Submission Engagement and Consultation for more information on WG meetings and trans-boundary engagement. Other sources of information referred to during the issues scoping process include recent scientific literature and technical reports of relevance to the Roberts Bank area; community knowledge and Aboriginal traditional knowledge (ATK); and the results of field studies and computer modelling undertaken in support of the Project. During the Project’s EIS preparation stage, comment tracking tables were developed that summarise key comments provided by regulatory agencies (see Section 7.1.1 Pre-Environmental Impact Statement Submission Engagement and Consultation), Aboriginal groups (see Section 7.2.2 Pre-EIS Submission Consultation Process), and public and local government (see Section 7.3.2 Pre-EIS Submission Engagement and Consultation Activities). These comment tracking tables include specific references to potential VCs, related processes and interactions, and the nature and sensitivity of the Roberts Bank area during the Project’s Pre-EIS submission stage. The comment tracking tables identify PMV’s response to VC-related comments and provide explanations for those situations in which a particular issue is not addressed by a selected VC or has not been considered in the assessment. 8.1.2 Selection of Valued Components Issues identified through the scoping process described above informed the selection of appropriate VCs for the Project’s effects assessment. The selection of VCs followed a three- step process, which is summarised in Figure 8-1 and described below. Process outcomes, including the rationale for inclusion or exclusion of each candidate VC, is summarised in Appendix 8-A Valued Component Selection Rationale. In addition, each VC effects assessment section provides an account of the VC-specific selection process (see Sections 11.0 to 16.0 for biophysical effects assessments, and Sections 19.0 to Section 28.0 for the social and economic effects assessments. Although not identified as a VC, the effects of the Project on Current Use of Land and Resources for Traditional Purposes were assessed (see Section 32.2). Page | 8-3 PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Figure 8-1 Valued Component Selection Process Page | 8-4 PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Step 1: Screen Candidate Valued Components A comprehensive list of candidate VCs was compiled based on the following: PMV’s historical knowledge of Roberts Bank; Results of previous environmental assessment and monitoring programs for projects undertaken on Roberts Bank; Community knowledge and ATK; Guidance from TAG members; Discussions with WG members; Results of field studies and computer modelling; and Comments provided by regulatory agencies, Aboriginal groups, local governments, stakeholders, and the public. Upon review and consideration of the above information and based on the professional judgement of the Project team, biophysical candidate VCs were identified according to their ability to represent broad categories of environmental elements integral to the marine ecosystem of Roberts Bank (e.g., marine vegetation, marine fish, marine mammals). Similarly, socio-economic and health candidate VCs were identified based on their ability to represent the full range of inter-relationships, system functions, and vulnerabilities known to influence communities in the vicinity of the Project. Each candidate VC was screened according to the following criteria to establish its ability to inform the effects assessment: 1. Candidate VC occurs in the geographic area proximal to the Project. 2. An interaction between the candidate VC and a Project component or activity could occur.