FINAL FACTUAL RECORD FOR SUBMISSION SEM-97-001 (BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission et al.) Prepared in Accordance with Article 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation This factual record was prepared by the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Should the Council vote to make the factual record publicly available, release of the factual record should not be construed to constitute endorsement of its content by the Council or by any of the Parties. 30 May 2000 Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ......................................................................................................... VI LIST OF APPENDICES............................................................................................................................ VI KEY TO DOCUMENTS REFERENCED ............................................................................................. VII INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 I. A SUMMARY OF THE SUBMISSION.............................................................................................. 4 II. A SUMMARY OF THE CANADIAN RESPONSE ........................................................................... 7 III. A SUMMARY OF OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION, AND FACTS PRESENTED BY THE SECRETARIAT......................................................................................................................... 18 A. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS USED TO SOLICIT AND DEVELOP INFORMATION............................ 18 B. PRESENTATION OF TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT WAS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARIAT, OR DEVELOPED BY THE SECRETARIAT OR BY INDEPENDENT EXPERTS.................................................................................................................... 26 1.0 Background on BC Hydro Operations and the Types of Harm Such Operations May Cause to Fish Habitat.............................................................................................................................. 29 1.1 Historical .......................................................................................................................................... 29 1.2 The BC Hydro System Today........................................................................................................... 29 1.3 Overview of BC Hydro System Operations...................................................................................... 30 1.4 Impacts of Hydroelectric Operations on Fish Habitat....................................................................... 31 2.0 Background on the Scope of Information Developed Concerning the Assertions of “Failures to Effectively Enforce” Fisheries Act Section 35(1)..................................................................... 34 3.0 Information on Significant Canadian Enforcement Responses Concerning the Statutory Prohibition Against Harming Fish Habitat.............................................................................. 38 3.1 The Concepts of “No Net Loss” and “Net Gain”.............................................................................. 38 3.1(1) A Brief Overview of the Guiding Principle of No Net Loss ................................................ 39 3.1(2) Strategies to Achieve No Net Loss: The 1998 Decision Framework for the Determination and Authorization of Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction of Fish Habitat.......... 42 3.1(3) Application of No Net Loss in the Context of BC Hydro Facilities ..................................... 49 3.1(4) Information Concerning the Use of No Net Loss................................................................. 54 3.2 The Water Use Planning (WUP) Process.......................................................................................... 56 3.2(1) Introduction to the WUP Process ......................................................................................... 56 3.2(2) Historical Context ................................................................................................................ 59 3.2(3) Principles of the WUP Process............................................................................................. 63 3.2(4) The Level of Commitment to the WUP Initiative ................................................................ 63 3.2(5) The Process for Developing WUPs...................................................................................... 65 3.2(6) Actions/Benefits to Date ...................................................................................................... 72 3.2(7) Issues Regarding the Future Effectiveness of the WUP Process .......................................... 75 3.3 Prosecutions and Related Enforcement Activities ............................................................................ 77 3.3(1) Background on Prosecutions and Related Enforcement Activities....................................... 77 3.3(2) Information on Government Enforcement Policies .............................................................. 79 3.3(3) Information on Government Enforcement Resources, Activities, and Results..................... 87 3.4 Environmental Assessments of New Hydroelectric Projects and Retrofit Projects........................... 94 3.5 Emergency Response Procedures ..................................................................................................... 94 3.6 Regional Technical Committees ....................................................................................................... 95 3.7 Water Quality Guidelines ................................................................................................................. 97 4.0 Review of Information for Six BC Hydro Facilities.................................................................. 97 5.0 Summary................................................................................................................................. 103 5.1 Background Factual Information Concerning the Challenges Facing Canada in Resolving Asserted Section 35(1) Violations and Harm to Fish Habitat Caused by BC Hydro Operations................... 103 5.2 Factual Information Relating to Enforcement Actions Other than WUP........................................ 104 5.3 The WUP Process as a Means to Address Fish Habitat Issues........................................................ 106 v List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Options for Habitat Conservation and Protection ....................................................................... 41 Figure 2: A Decision Framework for the Determination and Authorization of Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction of Fish Habitat.................................................................................. 43 Table 1: Convictions and Sanctions Reported Under Section 35(1) of the Fisheries Act in British Columbia ..................................................................................................................................................... 91 List of Appendices 1) Letters to Canada, the Submitters, the Province of British Columbia, and BC Hydro: • 18 December 1998 • 22 January 1999 • 4 February 1999 • 18 February 1999 • 12 March 1999 2) Synopsis, 18 December 1998 3) Scope of Inquiry, 18 December 1998 4) 3 February 1999 Questions 5) 21 April 1999 Questions 6) Memorandum from Janine Ferretti, Commission for Environmental Cooperation to JPAC requesting submission of relevant information, 19 January 1999 7) Map of the BC Hydro System 8) Expert Group Report 9) Water Use Plan Program Plan April 1999 10) 11 May 2000 Comments of Canada List of Attachements 1) Council Resolution 00-04 Instruction to the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to make public the Factual Record regarding the assertion that Canada is failing to effectively enforce s. 35(1) of the Fisheries Act with respect to certain hydro-electric installations in British Columbia, Canada (SEM-97-001) 2) Comments on the draft factual record received from Canada on 11 May 2000 3) Comments on the draft factual record received from Mexico on 11 May 2000 4) Comments on the draft factual record received from the United States on 11 May 2000 vi Key to Documents Referenced The Factual Record includes information from several sources. The following table provides the full titles of many of the more frequently cited sources as well as the abbreviated references used in the Factual Record. A. Submissions, Responses and CEC Documents Abbreviated Title Full Title of Document Referenced Submitters’ April 1997 Submission to the Commission on [sic] Environmental Cooperation Submission Pursuant to Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, Submitted by B.C. Aboriginal Fisheries Commission, British Columbia Wildlife Federation, Trail Wildlife Association, Steelhead Society, Trout Unlimited (Spokane Chapter), Sierra Club (U.S.), Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, Institute for Fisheries Resources. Represented by Sierra Legal Defence Fund and Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, April 1997 Canada’s July 1997 Submission on Enforcement Matters (SEM-97-001) By Sierra Legal Response Defence Fund/Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Canadian Response, July 1997 Submitters’ September Reply to the Canadian Response to the Submission on Enforcement 1997 Reply to Canada’s Matters, Submitted by