Overview
On November 2, 2023, a project permit was issued to SNC Lavalin (the Applicant), on behalf of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority - Planning and Development (the Permit Holder), to remediate and infill a former shipyard at 2089 to 2095 Commissioner Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. The project is located on federal lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
The project was approved subject to 46 permit conditions that the permit holder must meet to ensure the project does not result in significant adverse environmental effects. For more information about the project and construction activities, please visit the Permit Holder’s website.
About the project
The project includes remediation and redevelopment activities in subtidal, intertidal and upland areas of a former shipyard at 2089 to 2095 Commissioner Street in Vancouver. Contaminated sediment in the project area will be removed and replaced with clean fill. The remediated area will be infilled to raise the grade and reclaim 4,500 square meters of additional land for future industrial use.
The contamination from the former shipyard includes debris, wood waste, metals, hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These cover over 80 per cent of the intertidal area down to an approximate depth of 4 metres. The fill layer in this area ranges in depth from 4 metres to 8 metres.
Project components include remedial excavation and dredging of substrate, rock berm installation, backfilling and vibro compaction. Habitat offsetting is also proposed. See below for details.
Project activities and components include:
Site Preparation
- Removal of trees and other vegetation on the southern portion of the site
- Installation of erosion and sediment control measures
- Installation of silt curtain around the in-water work area
- Demolition of existing infrastructure
- Installation of temporary shoring around the east, west and south side of the Project area
- Excavation and dredging of approximately 18,000 cubic metres of contaminated substrate from the intertidal and subtidal area of the site, to a maximum depth of 5 metres below Site grade
- Installation of rock berm revetment approximately 100 metres in length with an elevation of approximately 8 metres
- Placement of approximately 41,000 cubic metres of engineered fill in both the intertidal and upland area to elevate Site grade to approximately 6 metres elevation
- Grading and compaction of the newly placed engineered fill
- Creation of two subtidal reefs with anchored seeded kelp ropes
- Installation of marine riparian vegetation
Permit details
Applicant
SNC Lavalin on behalf of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | Sterling Shipyard Remediation and Infill
Application Number
- 20-191