Question Period Note: Tilbury Marine Jetty Project British Columbia

Tilbury Marine Jetty Project British Columbia

My department is actively participating in the substituted Province of British Columbia’s environmental assessment for the Tilbury Marine Jetty project.

Protecting our aquatic ecosystems while considering economic interests of communities who rely on these industries for their livelihoods is a priority for our government.

My department will continue our work to ensure that fish, marine mammals, and their habitats are protected.

Southern Resident Killer Whale
Our Government is committed to the protection of Canada’s resident killer whales and to the recovery of these populations.

We will continue to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples, key stakeholders, international partners and the Province of British Columbia on immediate actions to reduce the impact of marine shipping and assist in the recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale.

Our Government has advanced initiatives to address the three key threats to the Southern Resident Killer Whale through the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan, the $167.4-million Whales Initiative, as well as $61.5 million in additional measures specific to the Southern Resident Killer Whale.

• On September 8, 2021, the public comment period closed for the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office’s (BCEAO) Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) Report, the proposed provincial conditions and the potential federal conditions. The draft Assessment Report found that there would be significant cumulative effects due to underwater noise on the Southern Resident Killer Whale.
• BCEAO’s report will be submitted to the provincial ministers and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to enable provincial and federal decision making. Provincial and federal EA decisions could be required in the winter of 2022.
• A Fisheries Act authorization would likely be required for dredging associated with construction and operation of the jetty. No permit under the Species at Risk Act would be required for this project, as the footprint of the marine terminal is not located within the critical habitat of the Southern Resident Killer Whale. However, shipping associated with the project will traverse the critical habitat.
• Marine shipping associated with the project is located within the same location as shipping associated with the Trans Mountain Expansion project and the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project.
• On July 9, 2019, the scope of marine shipping was expanded to include an assessment of the effects of marine shipping activities from the project's marine terminal to the 12-nautical-mile limit of Canada's territorial sea.
• On July 10, 2015, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency commenced an EA and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change approved the substitution of the federal EA process by that of the Government of British Columbia for this project.
• Tilbury Jetty Limited Partnership proposes the construction and operation of a new marine terminal facility located on Tilbury Island in British Columbia. As proposed, the Tilbury Marine Jetty project includes the loading of liquefied natural gas onto carriers and barges for export to local and global markets. The facility is expected to operate for a minimum of 30 years.

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