Mafalda Arias, M.A., is the President and Founder of Mafalda Arias and Associates, an organization that coaches organizations and individuals to interact, communicate and manage differences effectively. The company’s innovative training programs help build trust, reduce misunderstandings, leverage diversity and introduce collective empowerment through culture. Mafalda worked for over 15 years in various capacities in private and public companies in the mineral exploration and mining industries in Canada and South America. She has a Master's Degree in Intercultural Relations, a bachelor degree in Business Administration, a post-graduate certificate in International Commerce. Mafalda is certified in various intercultural assessment tools. Her mother tongue is Spanish and she is proficient in conversational French. When she is not working, Mafalda can be found serving on the Integrated Social Responsibility committee of the Association of Mineral Exploration, and the Diversity Advisory Committee of the Canadian Institute of Mining.

Re-Defining Environmental & Safety Consultation, A Social Innovation For Sustainability

The Mount Polley mine tailing dam failure that occurred in south-central British Columbia in August 2014 is the scenario that frames this research project which explores the culture of safety in mining and mineral exploration industries in British Columbia. The purpose of the project is to define the culture of safety for government, industry and Indigenous people, compare and contrast meanings; develop an understanding and awareness about how this affects the communication between government, industry and Indigenous people; analyze the role culture plays, its impacts, how this may contribute to misunderstandings; and explore the possibility of expanding the existing definition of safety to include Indigenous perspectives. This socially innovative project used two research methods: theme analysis and qualitative interviews. The results showed that culture has an impact on safety, how safety of the people and environment is perceived, and the different values and sensory worlds that support the distinct safety definition from government, industry and Indigenous people

Mr. Berger is an Operations Manager and Practice Leader with Pinchin West Ltd. He has approximately 20 years of environmental experience with site investigation and remediation projects. He has managed numerous subsurface investigations and remediations in multiple geologic environments throughout North America. Mr. Berger’s experience ranges from small commercial outlets to major chemical and refinery complexes to mine sites. These include numerous chlorinated and mixed contaminant sites, several of which have received regulatory closure under Mr. Berger’s guidance. He has been responsible for a variety of projects in which soil, groundwater, surface water, soil vapour and sediment quality in relation to regulatory standards and risk-based evaluations were investigated, and remediated. This includes conducting baseline risk assessments, corrective measures studies, remedial feasibility studies, and corrective measures implementation planning.

A Unique Approach to Excavating Limited Access Areas

The remedial approach of “dig and dump” is a classic and well tested remedial technology. It supports mass removal of the contaminant and can achieve remedial goals in very short timelines. Unfortunately, there are a number of instances where this approach would appear to be logistically unfeasible. Specifically, when contaminates are beneath an unmovable structure or near a property boundary. This apparent limitation in remedial options can sometimes limit the ability to reach remedial goals at a Site.

In order to overcome this limitation and achieve the remedial goals for a client with deep subsurface impacts under a building, Pinchin employed a unique approach to conducting an excavation. A horizontal drill rig was utilized, with various diameter augers ranging from 400 to 900 millimetres in diameter, to reach and remove the areas of impact. In total almost 4000 tonnes of soil was excavated from depths approaching 10 metres below ground surface. This method created its own challenges, regarding methods for collecting confirmation samples, controlling sloughing, ensuring that all areas of impact were removed, ensuring proper backfill stability, as well as some unexpected challenges regarding the generation of potentially flammable vapours at depth.

This presentation, through the use of a case study, will examine the application of a drill rig to conduct a deep excavation within limited access areas beside and under an existing building. Through the presentation the case study will be used to discuss: Cost effective techniques for excavating relatively large areas using multiple drilling methods; Pros of using a drill rig to excavate a Site; Cons of using a drill rig to excavate a Site; Lessons learned and suggestions for developing future remedial plans.

Mr. Raman Birk is the Regional Manager of Environmental Services with Public Services and Procurement Canada in Vancouver, BC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry/ Microbiology from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Environmental Science from the University of Alberta. Raman worked in the private sector for 12 years prior to starting with the federal government. Raman was the Manager of Contaminated Sites for 12 years before becoming the Regional Manager of Environmental Services in December of 2015. Raman has extensive experience in the field of contaminated sites assessment, remediation, project management and procurement.

Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Phase III- Recap of Year 1 and Forecast to 2020

The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Phase III has completed Year 1. The presentation will provide an overview of the work completed in the first year (focusing on projects and business in BC) and provide a financial and project forecast for the remaining 3 years of the program. Information on the nature and quantity of upcoming projects and program of work will be discussed to assist industry in capacity building and resource management.

Cassandra Caunce is a Director with the Regional Operations Branch of the Ministry of Environment. About half of her 20 years of experience in the environmental field has been spent at the Ministry working on issues related to permitting and compliance. Before joining the Ministry she worked in the industrial private sector, combining her knowledge of environmental management with systems. Currently, her portfolio of work includes leading a number of branch projects including SAP 2.0, as well as managing delivery of the Integrated Pest Management portfolio. Ms. Caunce holds a BSc. degree in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University and a diploma in Environmental Protection Technology.

New Structured Application Process

The authorization of waste discharges under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) is a core service of the BC Ministry of Environment and the application review process is critical in meeting our mandate to protect the environment. As such, we must continue to balance protecting environmental values and delivering effective and efficient services.

In 2015, the Ministry initiated a large LEAN project to ensure our approach to reviewing and issuing authorizations under EMA is a fair, transparent and consistent process that is both efficient and effective. The project was informed by input from our clients, as well as from management and staff in various roles across the Ministry.

The project, building on previous LEAN projects and past work, engaged with staff across the Ministry to design a new process that moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach toward a more efficient and consistent way to manage and process different types of waste discharge authorization applications.
The new process, called the Structured Application Process 2.0 (SAP 2.0), was launched in February 2017. The new process includes new and clearer policies, guidance documents, tools and forms which are designed to make the process easier. It also better clarifies ministry expectations and requirements, which will help improve the quality of the applications and support faster service to clients that submit complete applications. As part of the province’s open government initiative, applicants and members of the public will also be able to view the status of all applications that are moving the through the application process.

Ms. Cedzo has 5+ years in the Environmental Industry and her past experience includes both laboratory and field research, most notably as a Hollings Scholar for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In that position Ashley participated in environmental sampling and ecosystem monitoring projects on marine ecosystems. Ashley also completed an undergraduate honors thesis on the effects of urban runoff impacts to the sensitive coral reef ecosystems of Curacao. She has educated student groups on sustainability and the environment, specifically the natural ecology of the Pacific Northwest. In her current position, as the Northwest District Technical Manager for REGENESIS®, Ashley works directly with environmental consulting, construction and engineering firms throughout the Northwestern United States and Western Canada to develop successful remedial approaches for their clients by offering design, application and performance review services for in situ-applied groundwater and soil remediation as well as vapor intrusion mitigation- across a broad spectrum of technology classes. In this capacity, she has reviewed hundreds of potential projects and provided recommendations of remedial strategy. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology, minor in chemistry from the University North Carolina Wilmington and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in science education from the University of Washington.

Field Performance of Dispersive Colloidal Activated Carbon – Lessons Learned from Multiple Geological Settings

Background/Objectives. There is growing interest in the use of carbon injectables to expedite groundwater clean-up through coupling contaminant destruction with sorption. While an appreciation of the theoretical benefits of this approach is widespread, so is a natural caution among experienced remediation practitioners, as is understandable with any new technology. Among questions related to effective practical application of the technology are concerns regarding the ability to secure adequate subsurface distribution in the field, applicability in low-permeability or heterogeneous formations, efficacy against NAPL and limits of treatable contaminant mass. Further important questions include long-term efficacy, and the related validation of post-sorption field degradation.

Approach/Activities. This presentation will examine evidence from the field exploring these and other concerns. Data will be drawn from over 20 field applications, variously addressing chlorinated solvent and hydrocarbon impacted sites and encompassing a variety of geological settings within Canada, the United States, and Europe. Contaminants investigated range from chlorinated ethenes and ethanes to aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons and PAHs. Sites considered include legacy MNA sites, dry-cleaners, industrial sites, post-industrial development sites and filling stations. Field data will be presented describing performance against remediation goals, performance validation and also lessons learned with regard to material placement, site characterization and the importance of application-feasibility pre-testing.

Results/Lessons Learned. Results include multiple achievements of ‘three nines’ contaminant reductions over short timeframes (<3 months) and lines of evidence of post-sorption degradation using microbial diagnostic techniques coupled with geochemical analysis. Such data provide a valuable means of mechanism validation underpinning sustained contaminant capture beyond the point of predicted sorptive equilibrium. Further lessons learned relate to divergence of encountered field conditions from documented characterization, and the potential to avoid unforeseen project failure (false positive) or unnecessary project abandonment (false negative) through use of appropriate pre-testing methodologies. Examples are given of each.

R. Pete Craig, M.Sc., PChem; Canada West Regional Manager – Canada Geo-Solutions Inc. Mr. Craig, a former consultant, has over 15 years of remediation experience, including design work with some of North America’s leading environmental consultancies, providing solutions such as in situ solidification/stabilization, in situ chemical oxidation, in situ chemical reduction and bioremediation for dozens of contaminated sites across Canada and the United States. Pete earned an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford in 1998 and is a registered professional chemist (PChem) in British Columbia.

Sediment Remediation/Risk Management by In Situ Stabilization/Treatment (ISS/T) with Deep Soil Mixing (DSM)

Sediment in situ solidification/stabilization (ISS) and in situ treatment (IST) using Deep Soil Mixing (DSM) is a viable alternative to traditional dredging and disposal or can be used to improve soft sediments so that capping becomes feasible.

This presentation reviews the fundamentals of modern soil mix methods, their use for geotechnical improvement of sediments, and their use for in situ solidification/stabilization and/or treatment of contaminated materials underwater. Materials, methods, and results are presented showing the ability to control swell/heave, turbidity, pH and sheen while meeting remediation objectives.

Similar deep soil mixing methods are a well-accepted method for ground improvement, with hundreds of millions of cubic metres of soil treated globally since the 1950s to alleviate issues with bearing capacity, settlement and liquefaction. For example, in Japan alone, over 33 million cubic metres of sediment has been treated under water to support maritime infrastructure.

Based on recently demonstrated ISS in underwater sediments, ISS and IST by soil mixing using modern mix equipment is a feasible alternative for a variety of aquatic contaminated sites, including those impacted by NAPLs such as coal tar or creosote, high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), readily biodegradable hydrocarbons, reactive sulfide, mercury, methylmercury, and a variety of metals.

Mr. Custeau is a senior executive in the environmental contracting industry with over 25 years of experience implementing environmental projects as well as growing and operating successful and profitable businesses in the environmental sector. He has held senior management roles in businesses specializing in hazardous materials abatement, demolition, site remediation, waste management and emergency response.

Remediation and Site Soil Management of Industrial Brownfield Site in Burnaby, BC

This presentation accounts environmental remediation and onsite soil management of a large (17 hectare) industrial brownfield site that was previously developed as a paper mill. As part of the site redevelopment the remediation program involved the excavation and management of ~25,000 M3 of soil and details of the following scope will be described:
 Removal and stockpiling of 7500 M3 of contaminated soil from a road way and road subbase re-construction;
 Dewatering and excavation of a sedimentation pond;
 Decommissioning of a historic landfill involving removal and screening of 7000 M3 of PCB-impacted soil/debris;
 Decommissioning and removal of >4 km of underground utilities, including ~8000 M3 of impacted soil;
 Construction of three on-site landfills for 4500 M3 of impacted soil;
 Cement stabilization and on-site landfilling of 2000 M3 of metal impacted soil;
 Bagging and off-site disposal of ~1500 M3 of Hazardous Waste PCB-impacted soil and 2000 M3 of Waste PCB soil;
 Off-site disposal of screened debris and various levels of impacted soil totaling >10,000 M3; on-site landfilling of remaining soil.
Mr. Custeau will describe the innovative and cost-saving approaches that the above scope brought to the remediation and onsite soil management based on site specific opportunities and remedial challenges presented by this site.

Luke Dineley is a partner in both Borden Ladner Gervais’ Insurance and Tort Liability Group and Environmental Law Group in our Vancouver office. Luke focuses his practice on civil litigation, with an emphasis on insurance and tort law, and environmental law.

In the area of insurance and tort law, Luke represents and advises insurance companies, manufacturers, and individuals in matters involving product liability, personal injury, motor vehicle liability, professional negligence, fraud, and coverage issues. Luke has appeared at all levels of courts in British Columbia on insurance matters and has a wealth of litigation experience on insurance matters.

In the area of environmental law, Luke's experience includes representing and advising clients on a wide variety of contaminated site issues relating to both commercial and residential properties — including cost-recovery actions on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. In addition, Luke has represented and advised major companies on environmental regulatory compliance, emergency spill responses, and environmental prosecutions. Luke is also an executive board member of the British Columbia Environmental Industry Association and frequently publishes and speaks in the area of environmental law.

Luke's practice also includes debt and insolvency litigation, particularly realization and collection files for major banks, credit unions and other lenders. Luke has represented and advised major financial institutions on a wide variety of realization related litigation
Luke also has experience in expropriation matters. He has advised a range of clients on expropriation and related matters, including private and corporate landowners advancing expropriation compensation claims, and oil and gas companies acquiring interests in lands.

Important Trends in Environmental Case Law

The presentation will review the important and precedent setting judicial decisions issued on environmental matters over the last year. Over the last year several major decisions have been released that have potential far reaching consequences for the environmental industry as a whole. This presentation will summarize these decisions and highlight what you need to know as part of the environmental industry.

BC CSR Omnibus Amendments: A case study on the impacts to environmental investigation and remediation at various contaminated sites

On November 1, 2017, the BC MOE Omnibus amendments to the CSR and associated soil, groundwater, sediment and soil vapour standards will come into force. This case study will focus on several typical land use scenarios and provide an evaluation of the overall impacts of the changes. Specifically, the presentation will focus on the implications in relation to off site notification requirements, delineation and overall costs for investigation and remediation at a typical gas station, dry cleaner and metals impacted site.

Chris has worked in the environmental and energy/natural resource industries in Western Canada for over 17 years. His experiences to date have focused primarily on the overall project management/planning/coordination, field work, reporting, and reviewing of over 750 Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) in western Canada for both local and national clientele. His most recent professional experience has pertained to the development and participation within Stantec’s sector representative team that internally fosters co-collaboration between specialized technical streams as well as the growth and maintenance of their client account management system in British Columbia and across western Canada.

Jeff’s 9 years of environmental consulting experience has primarily focused on the management and coordination of complex remediation projects including; pipeline releases, transportation incidents, and assessments of operating facilities where minimal disturbance to operational schedules is expected. He is well versed in the technical aspects of remediation and has successfully managed projects in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Idaho, and North Dakota with remediation projects involving crude oil, refined hydrocarbons, condensate, produced water, and acids. Jeff’s project experience includes releases to surface and sub-surface in aquatic and terrestrial environments in a variety of climates. During his project experience he has managed large teams of subject matter experts, a variety of contractors, and has worked directly with regulators to bring closure to numerous complex projects in challenging climates and terrains.

Spill Response – Lessons Learned and Deciding When to Build an Ark

With any major spill response, there are a large number of variables that need to be identified and managed in a relatively short period of time. In situations where these incidents involve significant volumes of released product into an ecologically sensitive area, with a spectrum of involved stakeholders, the stakes get higher and ensuring that efficient and effective response actions are being implemented becomes even more important. Just for fun, add in record rainfalls, the presence of species at risk, spawning salmon, traffic concerns, access restrictions (both legal and physical), limited disposal options, and staffing shortages, and you have the start of a really, really interesting story.
In this presentation, Stantec’s team will identify current and emerging trends that are affecting spill response actions as British Columbia continues to strive for a world class spill response regime. Lessons learned for planning and implementing successful spill response efforts in less than ideal conditions will also be discussed, because what spill has ever happened in ideal conditions? Topics covered will include the value of Incident Command Systems training and implementation, the need for a solid communications plan, proven ways to meaningfully engage with all affected stakeholders (including those who are not seeing eye-to-eye), the need to develop a rigorous investigation approach, and the value of ‘playing nice with others’ and keeping available internal and external resources available when the skies really open up.

I, Monireh Hedayati, have a background in chemistry and obtained a Master of Engineering degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2012 from University of British Columbia. Now, I am a Master of Applied Science student at University of British Columbia in the Civil Engineering department under the supervision of Professor Li. My research investigates the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous media.

Removal of PAHs Compounds from Aqueous Solution by Modified Zeolites

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds are organic pollutants that can be formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, oil, and garbage waste. They can be detected anywhere in soil, air, rivers, and stormwater runoff. The PAHs compounds are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. One of the methods to remove these chemicals from water is an adsorption method in a batch technique, using an adsorbent. The adsorbent should be cost effective and locally available unlike activated carbon. Clay minerals and their modified forms, kaolinite, and clay are used as adsorbents to remove the PAHs compounds. Modified zeolite with HDTAMA is used to remove naphthalene. However, it appears that modified natural zeolites with CPC, and HDTMA surfactants have not been applied to remove the mixture of PAHs compound including fluoranthene and fluorene. In this study, to remove these toxic compounds from water, modified zeolites with cationic surfactants have been used. The effects of contact time, adsorbent dosages, and temperature have been investigated. The results indicate that the modified zeolites are able to remove the PAHs compounds from water by more than 95%. The results of adsorption kinetics are fitted in pseudo-second order equation. With a solid- liquid ratio of 1:500 and 1:200 the removal for fluoranthene and fluorene is respectively in accordance with the BC water quality criteria.

Ms. Anna Henolson, P.E. serves as a managing consultant at Trinity Consultants, where she has assisted clients with environmental air quality needs for over a decade. She has provided services throughout North America, from Alaska and British Columbia to Québec. Ms. Henolson has conducted and managed over 40 ambient air quality dispersion modelling analyses, supporting environmental assessments, major source permitting, minor source permitting, permit amendments, accidental release, litigation efforts, and odor assessments. She has served as an instructor for several of Trinity’s dispersion modelling training courses, including Fundamentals of Dispersion Modeling and Air Quality Dispersion Modelling for Managers in British Columbia, as well as for several state and provincial introduction to air quality regulation courses in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Alberta. Ms. Henolson received her B.S. degree from the University of Idaho and her M.S. degree from the University of Washington, both in Mechanical Engineering.

New Canadian Air Quality Standards and Implications for Industry in B.C.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment endorsed new Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) for sulphur dioxide (SO2) in October 2016, and expects to announce another new CAAQS in 2017 for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The values of the new SO2 standards are more stringent than existing levels:
• 5 ppb compared to the 10 ppb NAAQO for annual average, and
• 70 ppb CAAQS compared to 75 ppb B.C. interim air quality objective for 1 hour average, which itself is half of the previous BC objective.
The British Columbia Ministry of Environment (the Ministry) incorporated these new CAAQS into the subsequently published version of British Columbia Ambient Air Quality Objectives (November 2016), which still includes the interim 1-hour SO2 objective of 75 ppb. The same month, the Ministry released a two page information sheet, including the following:
The CAAQS will be used as a tool to help inform air management decisions in B.C. While the CAAQS are not intended to be used for fenceline reporting, these standards will be used to characterize air quality and potential air quality impacts in areas where people live or where other sensitive receptors are likely to be found. Where necessary, actions to reduce SO2 emissions will be developed in cooperation with facility operators.
Based on this Ministry statement regarding implementation, facility operators likely have many questions, such as:
• Will I need to compare predicted SO2 air concentrations against the CAAQS for my upcoming environmental assessment or permit application? If so, at what locations?
• If monitors in the area measure concentrations greater than the CAAQS, will my facility be required to reduce SO2 emission levels?
• When will the new standards take effect? Could there be any implications for my facility prior to the effective date?
This presentation will address the questions posed above and other implications to industry. In the United States, the requirement to demonstrate compliance with federal standards similar to the CAAQS has prolonged permitting timelines and led to ever more stringent permit limits. We will discuss whether this trend will continue in B.C.

Dave has over 25 years of experience in the emergency response business ranging from frontline operations to senior roles in industry. His various roles have included an instructor at Humber College, Station Captain for the Dofasco (now Arcelormittal) Steel Plant Fire Department, an owner and operator of a specialized ER Response Company. Dave has over 10 years with QM Environmental and now serves as the VP of Emergency Response responsible for National Operations. Dave serves on various national Emergency Response organizations and is a proven leader in his field and amongst response agencies, regulators and clients. He is a strong advocate of Aboriginal Inclusion & Capacity Building with key successes including the design and delivery of the Specialized Independent Competencies Program (SIC) for Aboriginal Youth.

Developing Long Term First Nations Employment and Economic Activity through Emergency Response and an Integrated Environmental Services Model

Environmental stewardship and the capacity to respond to, and effectively manage environmental challenges, is a priority for First Nations and resonates at the core of leadership and communities. When coupled with a sound business model that encompasses various environmental lines of business, these core objectives can be met while providing sustained long term employment, revenue generating opportunities and overall community capacity building.
The Cheam First Nation and QM Environmental have developed a sound long term partnership over the past two years through the design and development of a Community Emergency Response Preparedness Plan and an extension of the QM Environmental Emergency Response Network. A framework for collaboration is well established and now extends to include other environmental initiatives that form an Integrated Environmental Services Model between Cheam First Nation and QM Environmental.
This session will provide an overview as to how the partnership developed and the long term benefits to the community in its’ capacity to respond to ER events for the protection of members, through to the evolution of a viable business model to generate revenue and employment that has expanded to various other environmental initiatives.

Michael James is the General Manager of DeepRoot Canada Corp. Mike has been in the municipal street tree / Stormwater industry for over 30 years and has worked extensively with landscape architects, municipalities, engineers, and landscape contractors to provide solutions for the health of the Urban Forest and Low Impact Development techniques. Michael has a Degree in Public Administration and Business Management.

Suspended Pavement Systems and Stormwater Management: Monitoring Results

This presentation will look at monitored suspended pavement systems that have integrated trees, soil and stormwater.
These suspended pavement systems typically found in downtown dense urban settings where they are providing large volumes of uncompacted soil to meet the municipalities soil volume requirements for trees. By also using these soil volumes as source controls for stormwater runoff the designers increase efficiency, meet the LID guidelines/requirements and reduce maintenance costs.
This presentation will look at several monitored sites around the country to assess how they are performing compared to traditional bioretension/rain garden facilities and typical grey infrastructure filtration/storage infrastructure. The presentation will also look at the cost benefit of using these LID solutions compared to traditional Grey Infrastructure solutions.

Mr. Jeves has been responding to emergencies for over twenty years. He started his career as a Volunteer Firefighter with the City of Surrey, and then moved on to the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services where he was a member of their Hazardous Materials Team. Mr. Jeves became a Team Leader and then Operations Manager for Quantum Emergency Response. Andy has responded to hundreds of Hazardous Material Incidents ranging from downed transformers to industrial accidents, tanker rollovers, train derailments and oil spills both on land and on water. Currently Andy is the Director for Emergency Haz-Mat Services for Nucor Environmental Solutions Ltd. and a board member for the Canadian Emergency Response Contractors Alliance.

Stewart Center Fire

It’s cost more than $4 million, but an army of Haz-Mat technicians, scientists, ecologists and other specialists were mustered to battle a chemical spill that resulted from the Stewart Centre fire on July 30 2010. The mall which housed a few businesses included a chemical/fertilizer supply company and a welding shop burst into flames on the long weekend night. Bottles of high pressure gas rocketed from the welding shop and lunched themselves at surrounding businesses and firefighters which forced the fire fighting efforts to take on a defensive “surround and drown” approach. Runoff from firefighting efforts flowed into storm sewer systems and then Mill Creek which runs through the city…through peoples back yards, and along private and public green ways and vegetable gardens to Okanagan Lake. A local state of emergency was declared to give the city and its responders access to private properties and second hotel rooms for crews. All water activates at Kelowna’s annual Wakefest were shut down as the discharge from Mill Creek was a short distance away from the event. Scientists overturned rocks, counted songbirds and investigated reports of dead ducks, which incidentally, turned out to have died from other causes. They sampled fish and sediments, water and plants—both immediately and long after the plug of chemicals went through the system—and after that first week there were no significant toxins found in the system. However, the work continued on, studies and scientists did water sampling for months after the initial response. They set up a hatchery test, using sand, gravel and sediments from the bottom of the creek in a hatchery box, with eggs taken from a hatchery.

Kelli Larsen is a Senior Contaminated Sites Officer with the Ministry of Environment’s Land Remediation Section. Over the past 10 years she has been one of the main statutory decision makers for site profiles and she is currently the lead for Site Profiles for the Province. Kelli’s other work duties include processing discharge authorizations and writing ministry documents including fact sheets, administrative guidance and protocols. Prior to joining the ministry, Kelli spent six years working in environmental consulting.

Identification of Contaminated Sites in BC – creating a results-based provincial process that balances the needs of affected parties and ensures remediation of contaminated sites prior to redevelopment

A brief overview of the regulatory review process completed to date will be provided. Highlights of the comments received during the Identification of Contaminated Sites intentions paper consultation period (Summer 2016) will be discussed as well as how those comments may help inform future regulatory change.

Mr. Lee is the Chair of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia’s (APEGBC) Sustainability Committee. He is a working group expert and member of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Technical Committee on Climate Change which is also a harmonized mirror committee that represents Canada’s interest in the development of international standards through the ISO Technical Committee 207 / Subcommittee 7, 8 and 9 on greenhouse gas (GHG) Management and related activities. The committee also develops new standards and adopts existing international standards at the Canadian national level, including those related to climate change adaptation. Mr. Lee has a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta, and a M.A.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He is a CSA-certified GHG verifier, and a California Air Resources Board (ARB) registered offset project Lead Verifier. He has over 9 years of experience with climate change mitigation, and has completed over 150 GHG verifications in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. He is a regular trainer and public speaker. In 2017, Mr. Lee was selected to speak at the BCWWA Climate Change Adaptation conference and the CSCE Annual conference on a similar topic. Mr. Lee is President of Green Sky Sustainability Consulting Inc., providing climate change and sustainability consulting and training to industry.

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Support

We live and work in a new normal, but most of the built environment was designed for a different climate and our choices made in a now different climate. What are the implications of this? Could vulnerable we be to the new and still changing climate? If so, where can we turn for help? How can we assess our vulnerability to climate change?
This presentation aims to answer these questions and leave the participants with a tool and avenues to move forward in the rapidly evolving and much needed endeavor of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments.
First, the presentation will set the context, making the case for why we need Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments.
Next, answering the question, where can we turn for help, the presentation will describe the avenues of support for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments from the global realm (such as ISO, UNFCCC, IPCC, etc.) and work towards North American (NRCan, NOAA, NASA etc.) and ending at the local resources (from the likes of APEGBC, PCICS, Fraser Basin Council, etc.).
Finally, the presentation will offer an approach to how to conduct a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, using a tool that will be helpful.

Tara Macdonald is President and CEO of Biologica Environmental Services Ltd., based in Victoria, BC. Tara started her career in taxonomy at a young age, performing identifications of marine infaunal benthos for various projects throughout her university career. She completed a PhD at the University of Alberta on the systematics, evolution and taxonomy of polychaete worms in 2006 and spent the next two years teaching invertebrate zoology and coordinating university courses at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. In 2009, she started a postdoctoral fellowship with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, studying the productivity and functional attributes of the marine benthic infauna of the Salish Sea, in support of ambient monitoring projects. In 2012, she became CEO of Biologica, and has overseen the expansion of its services to become a full-service taxonomy laboratory. Tara’s current research interests are the molecular taxonomy of marine infauna, and the development of molecular biomonitoring tools.

Advances in Taxonomy and Biomonitoring

Aquatic biomonitoring programs traditionally use data from benthic invertebrate, zooplankton, and algal communities to assess ecosystem health for aquatic effects monitoring and impact assessment programs. Aquatic invertebrate and algae community composition can be used to determine ecological diversity, balance of sensitive and tolerant taxa, evidence of proliferation and/or depauperate status, and ecological function (e.g., productivity and carbon cycling). In order to generate aquatic community data from biomonitoring programs, samples must currently first be collected in the field then analyzed in a laboratory by taxonomic specialists. Advances in genetic and molecular research techniques have great potential for augmenting field sampling and taxonomy practices, which in turn may enhance aquatic biomonitoring programs. This talk will identify the status, challenges, and potential areas for concurrent development in the fields of genetic and molecular science, field sampling, and taxonomic research.

Chris has a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science from Queen’s University and over 8 years of experience in Contaminated Sites. Chris has worked on sites across BC, Yukon, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Ontario. This range of experience includes both small and large scale projects in both remote and urban environments.

Elyse has a Bachelors of Science in Geology from Queen’s University, and over four years of technically focused hydrogeology experience in both the mining and environmental sectors. Over her career, Elyse has worked on numerous complex sites where she has applied a wide variety of field methodologies to characterize the physical and contaminant hydrogeology. This work has been carried out to support Environmental Impact Assessments, Geotechnical Site Investigation, and mining programs across British Columbia.

Challenges and Considerations for Management of Historical Shoreline Industrial Properties: A Case Study from the Steveston Harbour

In coastal British Columbia, there is a legacy of industrial activity focused along marine and estuarine shorelines. As the caretaker of many of these types of properties, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is often faced with managing historical contamination to protect nearby aquatic receiving environments. A case study will be presented which highlights several challenges faced during environmental site assessment and remediation of contamination associated with multiple historical fueling and industrial operations at the Steveston Harbour. Project challenges included both LNAPL (Diesel) and DNAPL (Bunker C) from multiple sources and preferential pathways giving rise to a large lateral extent of contamination, assessment of tidally influenced groundwater flow regimes, managing work on an active site with multiple tenants and existing infrastructure.

Trish Miller is a senior risk assessor with more than 25 years of experience responsible for management and senior review of human health and ecological risk assessments of contaminated sites. Ms. Miller is a member of the B.C. Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals in Risk Assessment, serves on the Performance Assessment Committee and served on the CSAP Board of Directors from 2011-2013. As a practicing approved professional Ms. Miller conducts reviews of BC contaminated sites risk assessments and assists clients in obtaining Certificates of Compliance for contaminated sites.

Overview of the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment, Mount Polley Mine Tailings Breach

A human health and ecological risk assessment (HH&ERA) was conducted following the breach of the tailings storage facility at Mount Polley Mine, BC. The risk assessment was part of an overall remediation strategy that Mount Polley Mining Corporation (MPMC) developed in response to the breach. Early Impact Assessment work summarized the physical, chemical and biological changes that occurred following the breach with the conclusion that the dominant change was in physical conditions, with little evidence of chemical impacts to the biological community. The HH&ERA followed BC CSR and Health Canada guidance to assess potential long term impacts associated with the breach. For the human health risk assessment, exposure pathways examined included incidental ingestion and dermal contact with soil, inhalation of dust, ingestion of surface water, and ingestion of plants, fish and game from the area. A variety of human receptors were included in the assessment, including First Nation and other people who may consume more plants, game and fish from the land. Concentrations of potential contaminants were found to be less than the standards for the protection of human health in soil, and less than drinking water guidelines in surface water and less than the screening criteria for dust. In the absence of applicable standards, risks were calculated for exposure to dietary items using a combination of data collected from the Site and standard modelling approaches. Risks to human health were found to be well within the acceptable range. A triad approach was used for the terrestrial and aquatic risk assessments using multiple lines of evidence (LOE): i) chemistry (exposure-based LOE), ii) toxicity (laboratory-based toxicity), and iii) in situ measurements (field-based observations of impacts on ecosystem components). The terrestrial risk assessment included field observations of forest ecological health, field measurements of soil health, diversity and abundance of soil microbial community, mensuration and impacts on vegetation and trees, coarse woody debris, and evidence of wildlife use. For both the terrestrial and aquatic risk assessments, the physical impact of the tailings was both a stressor and confounding factor in the assessment. Increasing the LOE, particularly field studies and field observations, additional detailed chemical analyses and adding more positive controls to the bioassays were used to disentangle causal relationships when adverse effects were observed. A weight-of-evidence approach was used to assess the risks to terrestrial and aquatic life. This HH&ERA has led to new research in soil science, the implementation of complex soil community assessment into risk assessment and helped guide MPMC in their remediation efforts in a scientific manner.

Mr. Dave Munday, B.Sc., MBA, R.P.Bio., a Senior Environmental Specialist with over 30 years of experience, has participated as Project Director, Project Manager and Environmental Coordinator for a diverse range of domestic and international projects. He is a registered professional biologist (R.P. Bio.) in British Columbia, and specializes in marine biology, environmental impact assessment and permitting for aquatic and terrestrial developments. Environmental assessments have been completed to address both Canadian and International standards including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act (BCEAA) and also projects that address the World Bank’s performance standards. Mr. Munday is familiar with Disposal at Sea Regulation under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and has recently completed a large vibracore investigation to characterize potential dredge materials for an LNG berth dredging program. Recently Mr. Munday has joined Coastline Technologies Inc. to assist with research and development related to vibracore technologies.

New Vibracore Technologies to Manage Georeferenced Sediment Samples

Vibracoring technologies are used to obtain subtidal core samples generally used to investigate contaminates in sediment strata. There are a variety of vibracore technologies with common characteristics including a vibrahead, core tube, and some form of apparatus to maintain vertical orientation as the vibrahead is engaged during core penetration.
Sample grids are often used to characterize the area being investigated. Often these sampling grids are established on regular intervals - 10 meter to 25 meter sample spacing between sample sites are used for planning purposes depending on the objectives of the investigation. The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of error that can occur during vibracore operations that will ultimately impact the accuracy of data obtained from these investigations.
Errors in georeferenced sampling can arise from three significant sources:
1. Global positioning systems (GPS) providing the estimated location of the sample can introduce significant error as locations are taken remotely from the actual location of the core sampler;
2. Core compaction, or the difference between the core length taken versus the depth of core penetration leads to uncertainty with respect to the origin of sediments collected in the core tube; and
3. Core penetration is assumed to be vertical relative to the seawater surface, when in fact the core tube may penetrate at some unknown angle to the sediment surface.
GPS technologies offer various degrees of accuracy depending on the accuracy of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or Differential GPS (DGPS) systems that area employed. A brief review of these technologies will establish the range of accuracies that can be expected from these technologies. In addition, the issues related to estimating subtidal locations from vessels deploying vibracore systems will be reviewed.
New technologies are now available to measure core retention versus penetration during the sampling process. The improvement in accuracy when considering the origin of core sediments will be reviewed.
Vibracore samplers are assumed to maintain vertically during the sampling process. The degree to which the core sampler moves off a vertical orientation can introduce significant error in sample location estimates. This review will include a review of new technologies designed to maintain and confirm vertical orientation during the sampling process.
The errors arising from these three sources can be significant and additive. This review will include an estimate of the order of magnitude for the collective effect of these sources of error.

Stephen has a Bachelors of Science in Geology and Masters of Science in Hydrogeology from the University of British Columbia. Stephen has over 16 years of combined geology and hydrogeology experience, specializing in hydrogeologic site characterization and remediation with particular expertise in evaluating the fate and transport of petroleum hydrocarbons, non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), and inorganic substances. Stephen has presented on numerous technical hydrogeology topics at conferences within Canada and the US. He has also been involved in regulatory working groups tasked with developing guidance for conducting hydrogeologic investigations within BC.

Bedrock has its faults! How We Characterized Fracture Hosted Groundwater at a Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminated Site

When conducting hydrogeologic investigations it is commonly assumed that once bedrock is encountered it acts as an “impermeable barrier” to groundwater flow and contaminant migration. Yet, current research and experience shows that all types of bedrock are fractured to some degree, and fractures can be the primary conveyer of groundwater and contaminants. Investigating and assessing hydrogeology and contaminant distribution in bedrock can be technically challenging due to characteristics such as anisotropy and dual porosity. Many of the theories and assumptions that are applied to investigations in porous media cannot always be applied to bedrock. As such, to successfully conduct contaminated sites investigations under these conditions it is important to precisely identify both the lithology and structure of the bedrock. Currently, there is little available provincial regulatory guidance and requirements that describe how and when to investigating bedrock at contaminated sites. This presentation will provide the critical tips and tools for conducting contaminated site investigations in bedrock settings such that the geology and hydrogeology can be assessed. A case study highlighting how groundwater and petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in fractured volcanic rock were investigated, to allow the development of a conceptual site model that described the physical and contaminant hydrogeology at the Site, will also be provided.

Melanie Piorecky, B.Sc., P.Ag., is a Reclamation and Restoration Specialist with eighteen years’ experience in environmental science and management, with a strong history in vegetation ecology, environmental assessment, reclamation, agricultural science and waste management. As a leader in Associated Environmental, she is responsible for working with both the environmental and engineering staff to navigate regulatory processes.

How to go from Moonscape to Garden of Eden

In the Athabasca oil sands, large open-pit mining operations require reclamation to restore the landscape. Oil sand mine operators responsible for reclamation use a revegetation guidance manual, which is both a technical document and a planning tool. Associated Environmental Consultants along with Integral Ecology Group worked with the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA) to revise the revegetation guidance manual in preparation for its third update by CEMA in 2017. Our input focussed on techniques to establish upland forest ecosystems to support multiple end land uses, specifically commercial forestry, wildlife habitat, First Nations traditional use, and recreation. Recommended changes to the manual include: 1) alternative decision-flow charts to guide reclamation planning, and 2) detailed checklists to provide guidance and a way of tracking reclamation inputs towards specific end land uses.
We developed four new decision-flow charts that emphasize the following:
• a process and approach to development of revegetation planning (or review of that planning) for First Nations traditional land uses through collaboration with First Nations.
• a recognition of the need to maintain consistency between stand-level revegetation planning and broader landform, landscape (lease-level), and regional reclamation planning; and
• stand-level planning for multiple simultaneous end land uses, and decisions required to support design

We designed four checklists, using available information, which outlined the following:
• parameter (e.g., Canadian toad overwintering habitat);
• design element required to achieve that parameter (e.g., upland areas with well-draining soils, jackpine or aspen stands);
• relevant ecosystem within which the design element could be established (e.g., ecosite phase a1, b1, b2 [Alberta]); and
• scale at which the design element is applicable (stand, landform, mine lease, or landscape).

The flow charts to guide decisions in reclamation planning, and the checklists that define parameters to meet end land use goals, were very well received by oil and gas mine operators. They provide a solid framework for collaborative end land use planning. The next step will be to create a web-based tool that can be utilized and populated by mine operators implementing reclamation. This tool will provide perspective on landscape level reclamation achievements, and play a key role in future planning for traditional end land use.

Elena Ranyuk is the Technical Director at Stormtec Filtration. She has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and seven years of academic research experience at the leading academic institutions in Canada, France and Russia. She worked on a range of interdisciplinary projects from the synthesis of novel materials for detection and removal of heavy metals from water to development of cancer diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Elena’s current professional interests include contaminated site remediation and innovative stormwater treatment technologies. She is currently doing her MBA in Management of Technology at SFU Beedie School of Business.

Economical Approach to Treatment of Soluble and Particulate As, Cu, Zn, and Cr in Stormwater Runoff to Meet BCWQGs AW

Industrial and commercial outdoor yard space is commonly exposed to rainwater which can result in the contamination of stormwater runoff depending on the industrial activity on site. Heavy metals are one of the most common contaminants found in stormwater. Solutions presently available for removal of heavy metals from stormwater down to ppb levels as specified in BCWQGs often imply either large capital investment or high operational costs.

Stormtec’s phased approach presents an economical alternative to treatment of metal contaminated runoff. Its typical process is comprised of two stages. Stage I is a lower cost primary treatment using chemical precipitation. Stage II is a secondary treatment utilizing adsorbents and/or ion exchange resins. Reduction of both dissolved and particulate metals in Stage I increases lifespan of the media used in Stage II several-fold, significantly reducing operational costs.

Stormtec will present a case study on treating soluble and particulate As, Cu, Zn and Cr in stormwater runoff at an industrial facility in British Columbia. Since no two projects are alike, Stormtec conducted a series of bench tests combined with optimization on site to determine the most optimal process for the site. First, chemical precipitation of metals was optimized by testing different chemicals, chemical ratios and pH points with the objective of simultaneously reducing all of the targeted contaminants to a certain target level (Stage I). Second, the potential of various adsorbents to further reduce metals was evaluated, and, consequently, two adsorbents were selected for Stage II implementation.

Implementation in two stages allowed Stormtec to successfully treat contaminated runoff containing As, Cu, Zn, and Cr in varying concentrations of up to hundreds of ppb to meet BCWQGs AW Freshwater standards. To date, Stormtec has treated over one million gallons of contaminated runoff meeting the guidelines for all metals. Currently, the system performance is closely monitored to determine longevity of the adsorbents required for accurate forecast of media consumption. Delegates will be able to learn Stormtec’s experience and apply the knowledge to their own water treatment challenges.

Cedric is a Sr. Environmental Management Specialist and Project Manager at Ecofish Research Ltd., with more than 15 years of applied experience. He leads the Construction Environmental Management and Monitoring (CEMM) Group. Prior to joining Ecofish, he formed a successful environmental consulting firm, ECODynamic Solutions (EDS) Inc., leading the group to become recognized experts in third party environmental management and monitoring services with expertise in providing compliance/assurance inspections to developers throughout the province. Throughout his career, Cedric has provided Independent Environmental Monitoring (IEM) services for the construction of 10 hydropower projects in the clean energy sector, and for BC Hydro on the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project (in progress). Cedric has a strong technical background in environmental sciences, which he combines with years of applied construction monitoring experience (primary and third party) to provide construction environmental management advice to government (FLNRO, EAO, DFO), industry, non-profit organizations (CEBC), and First Nations. One of his key strengths is developing and maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with clients and agencies alike. His past experience includes delivering courses in erosion and sediment control, electrofishing, fish identification, and field techniques for fisheries assessments with Vancouver Island University, and he has worked with industry, First Nations, community groups, and all levels of government

20,000 Hours: A preliminary quantitative review of the performance of the hydropower sector through the lens of an Independent Environmental Monitor (IEM)

After a decade of steep growth, the independent clean energy sector is undergoing change. While the pace of project development is decelerating, the opportunity to review and document lessons-learned from this industry is timely. This includes retaining the construction environmental monitoring experience, expertise and competencies acquired by the BC Clean Energy industry.

In the capacity of the Independent Environmental Monitor (IEM), we have observed and documented
thousands of hours of construction activities in low to very high risk environments. The IEM provides the
opportunity for projects to be regulated in situ, a benefit to both regulators and Licensees. We seek to share our preliminary, quantitative results from more than 27,500 hours spent on seven hydropower projects in the past 6+ years (in BC), monitoring construction on behalf of the Province.

We have collected a wealth of environmental monitoring data during the construction of these projects. Each project differed from one another in geographical and provincial management regions, size and value, and contractual arrangements. We analyzed the data using a few simple, key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of the sector. This allowed us to identify some of the repeat observations and trends within and among projects. We also investigated how these observations linked to the valued physical attributes of the environment (e.g., water quality). We surmise that these key findings provide some of the foundational requirements to successfully build major projects in our province while achieving environmental integrity.

Based on our review, we believe that developers and contractors that will integrate these findings will emerge as industry leaders, and as a result will benefit from greater regulatory support and social licensing.

John Sankey, P.Eng., is an engineer for True Blue Technologies. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He sits on the steering committee for several groundwater Sampling & Monitoring Symposiums, which focuses on monitoring groundwater so that in situ remediation is planned well. He has been in the groundwater industry for more than 20 years and in 2003 started True Blue Technologies, a business dedicated to providing engineering, technical support and business development for technologies in groundwater remediation and characterization.

Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Soil and Water

Perfluoroalkyland Polyfluoroalkyl Substances(PFASs)comprise an extensive group of closely related chemical compounds that were manufactured in large quantities over the course of several decades. PFASs are among the strongest organic compounds and thus considered non-degradable because they persist for a long time in the environment.
Because PFASs tend to be highly soluble, they do not favorably partition into the vapor phase, nor do they adsorb well to activated carbon. This is why practitioners have difficulty remediating these compounds at a reasonable cost. To date, adsorption onto activated carbon was the only technically feasible method to treat PFAS-contaminated water.
PerfluorAd followed by RemBind™ polishing is an innovative process for the treatment of PFAS contaminants in AFFF-aqueous media. Fortunately, the costs for the PerfluorAd with RemBind™ treatment train are very favorable compared to activated carbon or ion exchange systems. Further, unlike activated carbon, this approach works well for the removal of short-chain PFASs.
In the pre treatment phase, PFASs are precipitated by metering the liquid PerfluorAd-active compound in to a stirring tank. The amount of PerfluorAd can be adjusted to varying concentrations. The precipitation products are separated from the water as micro-flocks by simple processes such as sedimentation and filtration. The precipitants can be concentrated to a very high degree, which allows for very economical disposal as compared to GAC. Post-treatment of the remaining residual contaminants is performed by a downstream RemBind™ filter.
PerfluorAd succeeds by precipitating PFASs, and only PFASs, from solution. A simple sedimentation process, followed by particulate filtration, captures the separated PFASs. Due to th e significant reduction in the PFAS-contaminated water in the PerfluorAd stage (up to 90%), the PFAS contaminant load reaching the absorbent filter(s) is lowered, which leads to a significant extension of the absorber’s lifetime, again significantly lowering operating costs.
The adsorption capacity of RemBind™ PLUS for the smaller chain perfluorinated substances PFBA and PFBS is vastly superior to that of GAC. This is likely due to the presence of the non-carbon components of RemBind Plus creating unique physical chemical interactions with the smaller chain PFAS compounds
A commercial reagent used for the immobilization of organic soil contaminants to reduce their leachability thereby minimizing their effect on human health and the environment. RemBind contains a combination of activated carbon, aluminium hydroxide and other proprietary reagents which create a relatively large surface area with mixed charges. Ziltek developed the product in Australia and Tersus Environmental markets and distributes RemBind throughout North America. In 2014, an independent trial was commissioned by an airport authority in Australia to test the ability of RemBind to immobilize Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) contaminants in soil. SEMF, an environmental consulting firm, independently supervised these tests.
RemBind represents a viable treatment option to reduce PFOS and PFOA leachability in AFFF-contaminated soil to below the Minnesota Department of Health Drinking Water Guidelines of 0.3 μg/L for both constituents. Based on simulations, the binding is expected to be stable for >1,000 years in an acid rain landfill environment.

Tanya Shanoff, M.Sc., P.Geo. is a Senior Hydrogeologist with over 18 years of environmental consulting experience working in Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. She is the Canadian Coordinator for the Emergency Planning and Response Discipline at Stantec. Her work history has included managing environmental emergency planning and response projects throughout Canada, as well as conducting environmental site assessments, remediation, and risk assessment projects for a wide range of industrial, commercial and government sector clients. Mrs. is a licensed Professional Geoscientist in the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

Developing a Large-Scale Field Experiment to Measure Fate, Behaviour and Toxicity of a
Controlled Diluted Bitumen Release in a Canadian Boreal Lake

In 2015, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) highlighted knowledge gaps regarding the fate and behaviour of oil spills in freshwater and marine environments. In their report, the RSC also identified the need for ecosystem-level studies to examine the efficacy of containment, recovery and clean-up strategies and the effects of residual oil on ecosystems following completion of spill mitigation efforts. The International Institute for Sustainable Development- Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) and partners, including Stantec Consulting Ltd., are proposing to test and model scenarios for examining responses related to controlled diluted bitumen releases in a lake at the ELA field station. The overall goals for this experiment are to generate and assess data that will help inform the public, regulators and industry about the science around the fate and behaviour of oil products in the environment, and how to best respond to protect the environment in the event of a release.

In 2017, plans to collect data as part of the pre-experiment conditions will be developed and executed as well as creation of proposals and plans to engage additional industry, academia and research groups. Parameters to quantify impacts to the ecosystem, recovery processes, and endpoints for oil spill remediation closure will also be developed through analysis of environmental indicators identified by latest science and within regulatory frameworks using both prescribed regulatory standards and risk based approaches. The team is currently soliciting input from the research community regarding, but not limited to, the most significant knowledge gaps to address, experimental design options, and effects endpoint identification as they relate to oil entering boreal ecosystems.

This planned field experiment has garnered interest and attention from the oil and gas industry, academia, and the federal government. It will be subject to scrutiny from the public including political groups that object to oil and gas development in Canada and may question the objectivity of the research groups, the value of the data collected and interpretations based on that data, and the overall objectives and outcomes of the study. This will need to be balanced as part of the project consultations, communication, and media management strategy.

The focus of this presentation will be on the history and need for the relevant science that will be undertaken for this experiment, the overall experimental design, the various groups involved, the desired outcomes and how they will help to inform future environmental emergency planning, preparation, and response for oil spills in Canada.

Kerri Skelly is a Senior Contaminated Sites Officer with the ministry’s Land Remediation Section. Over the past 18 years she has been responsible for a number of business areas in the Ministry of Environment including agricultural waste control, hazardous waste, and site profile administration. Currently Kerri’s duties include compliance promotion (education and outreach), verification (follow up with reporting requirements) and enforcement, as well as managing soil relocation issues and processing discharge authorizations. Over her career in government, she has authored a number of policy related documents such as fact sheets, guidance and procedures.

Addressing Current Challenges of the Provincial Soil Relocation Process Through Regulatory Change to Better Promote Compliance and Beneficial Re-use of Soils

This discussion will focus on the resulting comments from the Intentions Paper for soil relocation regulatory change and the feedback and input received from stakeholder consultations. It also includes an overview on how these findings may be used to inform future legislative and regulatory amendments by providing an outline of next steps in the regulatory change process and details of possible regulatory requirements to be considered.

Kelly Sveinson is a researcher and instructor in the Chemistry Department and Environmental Studies Program at Langara College in Vancouver. His technical interests are in the chemistry of aquatic ecosystems and biomass upgrading. While he has published and presented his research work, science education is the backbone of his career efforts. Kelly is currently the Coordinator the Community and Industry Research Center at the College.

Lynda Smithard is an Environmental Engineer with 20 years experience, and is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon Territory. Lynda joined McCue in 2008 as an owner after 12 years in engineering consulting. Her portfolio is extensive and includes wastewater treatment and remediation projects at mine sites, chemical plants, upstream, midstream and downstream oil and natural gas sites, and at a broad range of municipally, provincially and federally owned or managed sites. Lynda has worked across the US and Canada including northern Alberta, northern British Columbia, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Lynda is leading the engineering team at McCue and is responsible for overseeing all engineering work completed by the team.

Evaluating Biochar as an Adsorbent for Metals in Wastewater

Biochar, a solid, high carbon material similar to charcoal, is produced by subjecting materials of a biological origin, such as wood, to high heat with limited exposure to oxygen. The material has recently garnered interest in a variety of research areas, mostly as a soil amendment.

Langara College investigated the use of biochar as an adsorbant for metal ions in water and evaluated its potential for treating industrial wastewater. Biochar was produced with a small pyrolysis reactor at various temperatures, utilizing a variety of biomass feedstocks including various wood species, coffee grounds, poultry litter and marijuana stalk fibers. A methodology was developed to evaluate the adsorption capacity and an excellent fit to the Langmuir isotherm was found. Adsorption capacities varied significantly and were correlated to the nature of the biochar, with the greatest effect being the type of feedstock. The biochar that showed the greatest adsorption capacity for lead ions was that made from marijuana stalks, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 62 mg Pb/g biochar. Various analyses of the biochar characteristics relative to adsorption capacity suggest the mechanism is complex, and may involve more than one adsorption mode.

McCue Engineering Contractors performed an experiment using biochar on a synthetic water sample prepared in McCue’s Delta facility to match the modeled water profile for a mine site in BC. The results of the biochar test were compared to conventional metals treatment methods used in mine applications, such as hydroxide and sulphide precipitation.

McCue Engineering Contractors and Langara College jointly carried out this work with support from a NSERC College and Community Innovation Program Engage grant.

Ardice Todosichuk is a director of performance audit in the BC Auditor General’s Office. Ardice is an ecologist with twenty years’ experience as a leader in project management, developing people and engaging multiple stakeholders in challenging and complex environments. Ardice focuses on the natural resource sector where she is currently working on a performance audit on the management of grizzly bear populations in BC. Ardice has a Master of Science degree in environment and management as well as being certified as a project management professional.

Jake Tynan is a lawyer and auditor at the BC Auditor General’s Office. Jake provides legal expertise on a wide variety of issues and focuses audit work in the natural resources sector and on cross-government initiatives. Jake has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Victoria. He is currently working on an examination of Site C.

Evaluation of Risks to the Environment: An Audit of the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Energy and Mines Compliance and Enforcement Activities at Major Operating Mines in BC

Purpose: In 2016 the Office of the Auditor General completed an audit of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the Ministry of Environment’s (MoE) compliance and enforcement activities to determine if they were protecting the province of British Columbia from significant environmental risks.

Results:
MEM is deficient in creating guidance documents, undertaking inspections, monitoring data provided by industry, and enforcing non-compliance. The ministry lacks the resources, training and tools necessary for compliance and enforcement. MEM does not coordinate its compliance and enforcement activities with those of MoE. MEM has not publicly reported on the effectiveness of its regulatory oversight. MEM has estimated that its financial security deposits for major mines are under-secured by more than $1.2 billion, yet the ministry has not disclosed this to the public or to legislators, or communicated the potential risk this poses.

Mount Polley
We found that the ministry did not ensure that the tailings dam was being built or operated according to the approved design, nor did it ensure that the mining company rectified design and operational deficiencies.

MoE
MoE has a compliance and enforcement program, but it is deficient in carrying undertaking inspections, reviewing monitoring data provided by industry and enforcing where there is non-compliance. The ministry lacks the resources, expertise and training and tools necessary to pursue compliance and enforcement. It does not coordinate its compliance and enforcement activities with those of the MEM, which has led to inefficiencies and a lack of overall effectiveness in protecting the environment. MoE has not disclosed to the public and legislators the effectiveness of its regulatory oversight and the impacts that have resulted.

Elk Valley Coal Mines
We looked at the degradation of the water quality in the Elk Valley and MoE’s response. We found that MoE was slow to regulate rising selenium levels in this area and has not publicly disclosed the ongoing risks that the ministry’s recent Elk Valley Permit is posing on the environment.

Conclusion: We concluded that compliance and enforcement activities of the two ministries are inadequate to protect the province from significant environmental risks.

Our office made one overall recommendation to create an independent compliance and enforcement unit that would not reside in MEM.

Mr. Scott Tomlinson is a Senior Environmental Specialist with Public Services and Procurement Canada in Vancouver, BC. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Sciences (1982) and Masters of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering (1998), both from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Tomlinson is a registered Professional Geoscientist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (1992). Mr. Tomlinson has worked for private industry (10 years), the BC Ministry of Highways, Transport Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada in the fields of geology, geotechnical engineering, contaminated sites investigation and remediation, and project management.

Environmental Procurement with PWGSC – Procurement Processes and Navigating buyandsell.gc.ca

The key principles for PWGSC procurement include being fair, open, and transparent. There are various methods for procurement of consulting and contracting services including: standing offers, task authorizations, request for proposals, and invitation to tender. This presentation will discuss how PWGSC chooses and conducts procurement, and some of the lessons learned relevant to bidders from past procurement experiences. The presentation will also focus on the buyandsell.gc.ca website and how businesses can use the site for market research.

Mark Youden is an associate in Gowling WLG's Vancouver office, practising in the firm's Environmental, Aboriginal Law and Corporate Commercial Law groups. He advises a wide range of clients on Aboriginal, environmental assessment and regulatory issues for energy and natural resource projects. Mark provides specialist advice and solutions on all aspects of environmental law including management of contaminated land and environmental litigation. He also assists clients with reducing and managing their environmental risks and liabilities, and assists with transactional environmental due diligence. Prior to studying law, Mark obtained an M.Sc. in Environmental Science, and worked as an environmental consultant for an international engineering firm. Mark's scientific expertise and multidisciplinary approach help him provide clients with practical solutions to complex environmental and Aboriginal law matters.

Wally Braul is a partner in Gowling WLG's Advocacy Group and is one of Western Canada’s most highly regarded energy, Indigenous law and environmental lawyers. He has extensive experience and expertise defending Fisheries Act prosecutions, contamination sites and water law litigation and advising on oil spill emergencies. Wally has been repeatedly recognized by Lexpert as a leading lawyer, and by The Best Lawyers in Canada and Who’s Who Legal as one of Canada’s foremost environmental lawyers.

Dionysios (Dino) Rossi is a partner at the Vancouver office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, where he practices in the areas of shipping and maritime law and environmental law.
He has represented and advised clients (including forestry companies, oil and gas companies, mining companies, commercial and residential property owners, and property insurers), on a wide range of environmental law matters in the litigation, regulatory and transactional contexts. These include: cost-recovery proceedings, pollution-related matters (air, water, and soil), spill response incidents, regulatory compliance issues, prosecutions, the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in a wide range of commercial agreements.
Dionysios frequently speaks and publishes on the subject of environmental law. He has been interviewed by Global News Television on the subject of ship-source pollution. His work has appeared in general interest publications such as the Vancouver Sun and Business in Vancouver, trade publications such as Western Mariner and The Environmental Managers Association of British Columbia Journal, legal publications such as the Irwin Law Maritime Law survey text, The Transportation Lawyer, The Lawyers Weekly, and in various Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia works.

A Lawyer’s Guide to Marine Emergency Spill Response

In recent times, there have been relatively few large spills in Canada’s west coast waters, however given the increased volume of shipping and pressure from proposed marine transportation projects, regulators have taken a keen interest in marine spill response. This is evidenced by Prime Minister Trudeau’s recently announced ocean protection plan (self described as the “most significant investment ever made to protect our oceans and coastlines” at the cost of $1.5 billion). The plan includes funding for increased coast guard capacity, new rescue stations, tougher rules on marine polluters, and Indigenous community response teams.

Canada’s current marine spill response regime is based on the ‘polluter pay principle’, which requires the polluter (or the Responsible Party) to take full responsibility for the cost of cleaning up any damages caused by an oil spill. This principle is supported by both industry, the federal and provincial governments. Since the regime relies on many partners, collaboration is key to an efficient, effective and successful response. Practically speaking, this means partners from different organizations and jurisdictions taking an active role in initial response efforts but also collaboration in post-response assessment and monitoring. On paper, the regulatory regime seems straight forward, but in practice the emergency setting can make even the simplest activities complicated. Our presentation will cover the most pressing issues to unfold following a marine spill and provide best practices from recent west coast spill case studies.