VANCOUVER AIRPORT FUEL DELIVERY PROJECT ASSESSMENT REPORT With Respect to the Application by Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation for an Environmental Assessment Certificate pursuant to the Environmental Assessment Act, S.B.C. 2002, c.43 and SCREENING REPORT With Respect to the requirements of a Screening pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, S.C. 1992, c. 37 as amended Prepared by: Environmental Assessment Office And Vancouver Fraser Port Authority December 14, 2012 1 Preface Provincial Environmental Assessment Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) manages the assessment of proposed major projects in British Columbia, as required by the Environmental Assessment Act. The assessment process examines proposed major projects for potentially adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects that may occur during the life cycle of these projects. The process is iterative and includes: Opportunities for the involvement of all interested parties; Consultation with First Nations and consultation with the public; Technical studies to identify and examine potential significant adverse effects; Strategies to prevent or reduce, adverse effects; and Development of comprehensive reports summarizing input and findings. At the conclusion of each environmental assessment, EAO provides a comprehensive assessment report (Report), and makes recommendations to the Minister of Environment and to the Minister responsible for the project sector, which in this case is the Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas (Ministers). The Ministers may decide to certify a project, decline to certify a project, or require further assessment. This Report considers the proposed project’s potential to cause significant adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects. It identifies measures to prevent or reduce adverse effects, and sets out EAO’s analysis and conclusions. It documents the work undertaken by EAO to consult and accommodate First Nations, in keeping with the Supreme Court of Canada's direction in Haida v. Minister of Forests and related case law. It also documents the work undertaken by EAO to consider potential impacts to treaty rights identified through the Tsawwassen Final Agreement. Federal Environmental Assessment The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), doing business as Port Metro Vancouver (PMV), is a non-shareholder, financially self-sufficient corporation, established by the Government of Canada in January 2008, pursuant to the Canada Marine Act (CMA), and accountable to the federal Minister of Transport. 2 VFPA is a designated Canadian Port Authority under the CMA with responsibility for managing federal property, and administering over 16,000 hectares of water, nearly 1,000 hectares of land, and assets along more than 600 kilometres of shoreline. As a Canadian Port Authority, the VFPA is subject to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and must assure itself that projects it authorizes do not result in significant adverse environmental effects. A federal environmental assessment for the proposed project was initiated under the former Canada Port Authority Environmental Assessment Regulations (CPA EA Regulations), pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA, S.C. 1992, c.37). When CEAA 1992 was replaced with CEAA 2012 in July 2012, the proposed project was designated by the federal Minister of Environment to continue as if CEAA 1992 had not been repealed. The proposed project has undergone a federal screening level environmental assessment that considered factors including: Environmental effects of the proposed Project, including the environmental effects of malfunctions or accidents that may occur in connection with the proposed Project and any cumulative environmental effects that are likely to result from the proposed Project in combination with other projects or activities that have been or will be carried out; The significance of the environmental effects referred to above; Comments from the public that are received as part of an assessment process, if any; and Technically and economically feasible measures that would mitigate any significant adverse environmental effects of the proposed Project. The environmental effect, or change that the proposed Project may cause on the environment, also includes consideration of the effect of any change on health and socio- economic conditions, physical and cultural heritage, First Nations traditional uses, and historical structures, sites or objects. The assessment also evaluates the effects of the environment on the proposed Project, which is included in the CEAA 1992 definition of “environmental effects”. Based on this joint provincial and federal Report, including the implementation of any mitigation measures, and comments from First Nations and the public, the VFPA, as the federally authority will make a determination as to whether the proposed Project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. 3 The provincial and federal assessment processes have been coordinated in accordance with the Canada/British Columbia Agreement for Environmental Assessment Cooperation (2004). Information and records relating to environmental assessments are available on EAO’s electronic Project Information Centre at www.eao.gov.bc.ca. Questions or comments can be directed to: Environmental Assessment Office Port of Metro Vancouver PO Box 9426 Stn Prov Govt 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place Victoria BC V8W 9V1 Vancouver BC V6C 3T4 Phone: 250 356-7441 Phone: 604-665-9000 Fax: 250 356-7440 Fax: 1-866-284-4271 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 4 Table of Contents PART A – INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ...................................................................17 1 Purpose of the Report ......................................................................................................17 2 Project Overview ..............................................................................................................18 2.1 Proponent Description ............................................................................................18 2.2 Purpose of the Project ............................................................................................18 2.3 Project Description and Scope ................................................................................20 2.4 Project Land Use ....................................................................................................21 2.5 Proposed Project Benefits.......................................................................................22 2.6 Alternative Means of Undertaking the Proposed Project .........................................23 2.7 Alternatives to the Proposed Project .......................................................................23 3 Assessment Process .......................................................................................................26 3.1 Provincial EA Process .............................................................................................26 3.2 Federal Review .......................................................................................................27 3.3 Subsequent Permitting Requirements .....................................................................29 3.4 EA Participants .......................................................................................................29 3.4.1 Working Group ............................................................................................ 30 3.4.2 First Nations ................................................................................................ 30 3.4.3 Local Government ....................................................................................... 31 3.4.4 Public .......................................................................................................... 32 4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................................33 4.1 Valued Components ...............................................................................................34 4.2 Assessment of Potential Significant Adverse Effects Methodology, including Cumulative Effects ..................................................................................................34 4.3 Assessing Significance of Potential Effects .............................................................36 4.4 Spatial Boundaries ..................................................................................................36 4.5 Temporal Boundaries ..............................................................................................37 PART B – ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS ...........................................................38 5 Assessment of Potential Environmental Effects ...............................................................38 5.1 Fisheries, Aquatics, and Surface Water Quality Assessment ..................................38 5.1.1 Valued Components .................................................................................... 42 5.1.2 Potential Project Effects and Proposed Mitigation ....................................... 45 5 5.1.3 Environmental Management Plans .............................................................. 50 5.1.4 Residual Adverse Effects of the proposed Project ....................................... 52 5.1.5 Significant of Residual Effects Analysis ......................................................