ARCHIVED - CEPA Annual Report for the Period April 1995 to March 1996

• Permits for Ocean Dumping
  • Permits Granted in 1995-96
  • Permits Rejected in 1995-96
  • Regional Forecasts for 1996-97
• Research to Support Ocean Dumping Regulations
• International Activities
• Ocean Dumping Control Action Plan
• Amendments to the Ocean Dumping Regulations and CEPA

For the most part, contamination of Canada's oceans and coastlines is the result of human activities, one of which is the disposal of wastes at sea. Part VI of CEPA protects our marine environment from the consequences of these activities by taking a comprehensive approach to waste management, pollution prevention and coastal zone management. At the same time, it allows Canada to meet its international obligations under the London Convention, 1972.

Ocean disposal is considered by Environment Canada to be a last resort, to be used only for non-hazardous substances and only after all other methods of disposal have been judged unacceptable. Ocean disposal is not allowed if practical opportunities are available to recycle, reuse or treat the waste. Neither is disposal allowed if the activity is prohibited under any Act of Parliament, or if a licence or permit required under any other Act has not been obtained.

Permits for Ocean Dumping

Each application for disposal at sea is evaluated separately to determine if a permit will be issued. Permits typically govern timing, handling, storing, loading, placement at the disposal site, and monitoring requirements.

Permits Granted in 1995-1996

Over the past year, Environment Canada issued 91 permits for the disposal of an estimated 7.6 million metric tonnes of material. This quantity reflects the amount approved for disposal as opposed to the actual quantity disposed of at sea. Disposal activities are still ongoing for many permits issued.

Permits Rejected in 1995-96

Environment Canada did not reject any applications in the past year as all the requests received met the regulatory requirements.

Regional Forecasts for 1996-97

The number of permits for dredging and fisheries waste is expected to remain stable over the next year with the exception of the Prairie and Northern Region (P&NR) where no dredging applications are expected. However, P&NR will carry out the final site inspection as a result of an ocean dumping permit issued in 1994 respecting the first sub-sea gas distribution tree abandonment to take place in Canadian waters.

* Rocks, gravel, sand, silt, clay and wood wastes
** Mostly soil and rocks
*** Includes offal, shells, herring waste and fish processing wastewater
**** 2,400 tonne vessel to create a diving attraction on the West Coast; abandonment of the Drake F-26 offshore subsea wellhead in the Arctic; and disposal of a decommissioned fishing vessel.

* Rocks, gravel, sand, silt, clay and wood wastes
** Mostly soil and rocks
*** Includes offal, shells, herring waste and fish processing wastewater
**** 2,400 tonne vessel to create a diving attraction on the West Coast; abandonment of the Drake F-26 offshore subsea wellhead in the Arctic; and disposal of a decommissioned fishing vessel.

Research to Support Ocean Dumping Regulations

Environment Canada continues to improve the tools it uses to assess the materials intended for disposal at sea. Bioassays are becoming standard assessment tools to evaluate the effects of contaminants in the marine environment. Researchers have already developed several standard protocols to assess the quality of municipal and industrial effluents, and work on sediment bioassays is well underway.

Three new Canadian sediment bioassays to evaluate sediment trace chemical concentrations on crustacean mortality, sea urchin reproduction and fluorescence from photoluminescent bacteria have been completed and published. In addition, the U.S. protocol to evaluate bioaccumulation using a clam species is being used. As well, work is expected to be completed, in fiscal year 1996/97, on a bioassay that examines changes in the growth of marine worms. Guidance to aid in the interpretation of these bioassays is being developed to ensure they are applied in a consistent manner. As part of this work, a pollution gradient study is underway to examine effects resulting from decreasing concentrations of pollutants from a single source.

A protocol for deriving sediment quality guidelines was developed and adopted by CCME in March 1995. From this protocol, draft guidelines for several contaminants have been produced and will be used as screening levels in the proposed Waste Assessment Framework for assessing dredged sediments in the Ocean Disposal Program.

International Activities

The Parties to the London Convention, 1972 will be completing a three-year amendment process to address immediate and long term disposal at sea issues. In 1996, the parties to the Convention will convene to discuss long-term proposals to update the Convention.

Ocean Dumping Control Action Plan

In November 1991, Environment Canada established the Ocean Dumping Control Action Plan to devote additional resources to safeguarding the marine environment.

Since the implementation of this plan, monitoring guidelines are progressively being developed, field- tested and phased into routine disposal site monitoring. Long-term surveys are now underway under the marine debris program. A report detailing the first year's results will be released this coming fiscal year. As well, information products, including a World-Wide Web site on the Department' s Green Lane, a newsletter and a fact sheet, are available.

Amendments to the Ocean Dumping Regulations

During 1995-96, work has continued on the development of proposed new environmental assessment procedures and standards to better account for effects on the marine environment. These amendments should be in force in 1997–98. Between October 1993 and February 1995, consultations were undertaken across Canada in preparation for developing these amendments. Changes contemplated include:

• adopting a tiered testing approach to evaluate materials for ocean disposal;
• new marine environmental quality guidelines and biological assessment tools; and
• incorporating the Waste Assessment Framework of the London Convention 1972.