Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project - Final Terms of Reference and Updated Guidelines Issued

OTTAWA, April 17, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announces that the Review Panel Terms of Reference and updated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines for the environmental assessment of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project have been issued publicly.

Following a public comment period on the draft Terms of Reference in August 2014, the document was recently finalized.  The Terms of Reference establish the mandate of the review panel, its composition, as well as the process and timelines for the environmental assessment. 

The updated EIS Guidelines identify the information and analysis that need to be included in the EIS to be prepared by the proponent.  The draft Guidelines were issued for public comment in November 2013 and initially published in January 2014.

The Guidelines have recently been amended to provide additional guidance to the proponent for the consideration of two additional factors, which are marine shipping associated with the project, as well as provincial social, economic, heritage and health matters relevant to the environmental assessment.

Once the information required by the EIS Guidelines, including the additional factors, is submitted by the proponent, a comment period on the EIS will be announced by the Agency.  Following this step, a review panel will be established by the Minister of the Environment to continue the environmental assessment.

Quick Facts

• The final Terms of Reference and the updated EIS Guidelines are available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, at ceaa.gc.ca reference number 80054.
• Port Metro Vancouver proposes the construction and operation of a new three-berth marine container terminal located at Roberts Bank in Delta, approximately 35 km south of Vancouver. The proposed project, to be located next to the existing Deltaport and Westshore Terminals, would provide an additional 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units of container capacity per year at Roberts Bank.
• On January 7, 2014, Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq referred the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project to an environmental assessment by a review panel.

Associated Links

• Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
• Basics of Environmental Assessment (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)

SOURCE Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Ted Laking, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of the Environment, 819-997-1441; Lucille Jamault, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]