Guide for the Development of Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Programs for Dredging and Sediment Management Projects

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Environment Canada and Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques du Québec

January 2015

Correct citation for this publication:

Environment Canada and Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques du Québec. 2015. Guide for the Development of Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Programs for Dredging and Sediment Management Projects. 22 pages + appendices.

Production Team

Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

Lise Boudreau, Service des avis et des expertises, Direction du suivi de l’état de l’environnement
Raynald Chassé¹, Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, Division de l’écotoxicologie et de l’évaluation du risque
Mélanie Desrosiers, Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, Division de l’écotoxicologie et de l’évaluation du risque
Louis Martel, Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, Direction des expertises et des études
Élyse Ménard², Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, Division de l’écotoxicologie et de l’évaluation du risque
Pierre Michon, Direction de l’évaluation environnementale et des projets hydriques et industriels

Environment Canada, Environmental Protection Operations Division – Québec Region

Caroll Bélanger^3*, Expert Support and contaminated Sites
Mario Cormier, Expert Support and Contaminated Sites
Vicki Da Silva-Casimiro, Environmental Assessment and Disposal at Sea
Serge Lepage³, Expert Support and Contaminated Sites
François Marchand, Environmental Assessment and Disposal at Sea
Donald St-Laurent, Expert Support and Contaminated Sites
Suzie Thibodeau, Environmental Assessment and Disposal at Sea

Collaborators

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Simon Blais⁴, Fish Habitat Management
Claude Brassard⁵, Fish Habitat Protection, Hydroelectricity, Navigation and Marine Environment
Pierre Rouleau³, Canadian Coast Guard

Public Works and Government Services Canada

Marc Desrosiers, Environmental Services
Yves Lavergne³, Environmental Assessment and Marine Works, Environment Service

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Anne-Marie Gaudet, Gestionnaire de projet, Quebec Regional Office

Linguistic revision, translation and editing

French version: Louise Côté, Communications Branch, Strategic Communications Section, Environment Canada, and Translation Brokering and Editing Services, Corporate Secretariat, Environment Canada

English verison: Translation Brokering and Editing Services, Corporate Secretariat, Environment Canada

¹ Now at Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec
² Now at Magog township
³ Retired
⁴ Now at Environment Canada, Environmental Protection Operations Division
⁵ Now at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Demersal and Benthic Science Branch

Foreword

This guide is intended to assist dredging specialists in the design of environmental monitoring and surveillance programs (EMSPs) for dredging and sediment management projects, and to provide practical instructions for developing and implementing such programs. It is heavily based on the more detailed reference report of Michaud (2000). Managers and environmental assessment practitioners involved in dredging operations will find a wealth of information that we hope will facilitate their work.

The Guide for the Development of Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Programs for Dredging and Sediment Management Projects is the outcome of a commitment on the part of the Navigation Coordination Committee (NCC) of the St. Lawrence Action Plan to implement a Sustainable Navigation Strategy that includes the integrated management of dredging and sediments. This integrated management approach is aimed at optimizing and standardizing the processes and tools necessary for the assessment, approval, performance, surveillance and monitoring of dredging and management of sediment dredged in the St. Lawrence. Following the efforts of the Working Group on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments (WGIMDS), in the early 2000s, seventeen recommendations were drafted in the aim of developing a genuine integrated management approach for dredging in the St. Lawrence (WGIMDS, 2004). Since 2004, several multi-stakeholder working committees (federal departments and provincial ministries, industry, non-governmental environmental working groups) have collaborated to develop the different tools proposed under the WGIMDS recommendations, including the development of guidance on environmental monitoring and surveillance for dredging and sediment management projects.

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 1.1 Context of the EMSP in the Environmental Assessment Process
• 1.2 Proposed Approach
• 2. Drafting (PHASE I)
• 2.1 Objectives of the EMSP (Activity 1)
• 2.1.1 Description of the Problem
• 2.1.2 Formulating the Objectives of the EMSP
• 2.2 Development of Verifiable Impact Hypotheses (Activity 2)
• 2.2.1 Identification of the Components of the System under Study
• 2.2.2 Drafting the Conceptual Model
• 2.2.3 Formulation of Verifiable Impact Hypotheses
• 2.3 Drafting the Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization Plan (Activity 3)
• 2.3.1 Selection of the Assessment Parameters for Monitoring and Surveillance
• 2.3.2 Selection of the Physical, Chemical and Biological Measurement Parameters
• 2.3.3 Determination of the Action Thresholds
• 2.3.4 Determination of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program
• 2.3.5 Selection of the Data Interpretation Methods
• 2.3.6 Drafting the Characterization Plan
• 2.4 Drafting the Contingency Plan (Activity 4)
• 2.4.1 Emergency Preparedness Plan
• 3. Implementation (PHASE II)
• 3.1 Identification of Outcome Reporting Mechanisms and the Decision-making System (Activity 5)
• 3.2 Writing the Specifications of the Monitoring and Surveillance Program (Activity 6)
• 3.3 Invitations to Tender and Selection of the Consultant for Performance of the Program (Activity 7)
• 3.4 Employee Awareness and Training Programs (Activity 8)
• 3.5 Performance of Monitoring and Surveillance Activities (Activity 9)
• 3.6 Triggering the Contingency Plan (Activity 10)
• 4. Communication (PHASE III)
• 5. Review (PHASE IV)
• 6. Conclusion
• Bibliography

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Context of application of an EMSP (Modified from OFEFP and GREISOT, 1999)
• Figure 2 Environmental monitoring and surveillance within a project (adapted from AQÉI, 1999)
• Figure 3 Sequence of activities for the design and implementation of an EMSP
• Figure 4 Example of a conceptual model showing the links between stressors and biological receptors

List of Appendices

• Appendix A Additional elements
• Appendix B Documents that may be useful in drafting an EMSP for dredging and sediment management projects
• Appendix C Examples of conceptual models
• Appendix D Elements of the characterization plan
• Appendix E Elements for drafting the characterization plan
• Appendix F Examples of mitigation measures
• Appendix G Glossary

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