Tilbury marine jetty project granted environmental assessment certificate
An environmental assessment certificate has been issued for the Tilbury marine jetty project on Tilbury Island in Delta, following a decision by the Province.
George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, made the decision after carefully considering the environmental assessment of the proposed project conducted by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO). The assessment involved extensive consultation with technical experts, federal and local authorities, First Nations and Indigenous groups, and the public.
The proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelling jetty will be used to fill carrier ships exporting LNG and bunkering vessels that then refuel ships in other locations. The project will be supplied from the existing FortisBC Tilbury LNG plant nearby.
The ministers concluded that provincial requirements would avoid or minimize the potential negative impacts of the project in areas of provincial interest. In making their decision to issue a certificate to Tilbury Jetty GP Inc., the ministers considered the views of First Nations, the marine transportation project’s footprint, and the role that LNG and, in future, renewable fuel can play in decarbonizing the marine shipping industry. After extensive consideration of marine fuel decarbonization pathways, the ministers included a condition that will require the Tilbury marine jetty to make fuelling space available for renewable fuels to the extent that demand and supply exist. The reasons for the ministers’ decision are available here:
https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/document/6604818734f3c20022682699/fetch/Reasons%20for%20Ministers%20Decision%20-%20Tilbury%20Marine%20Jetty%20-%2020240327.pdf
The ministers issued a certificate with 22 legally enforceable provincial conditions that must be followed over the life of the project. These include plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opportunities for First Nations’ monitoring of construction and operations, opportunities for Indigenous employment and procurement, and measures to reduce impacts on water quality, air quality, and cultural and archeological resources.
The project also requires federal approval. The B.C. EAO carried out the assessment on behalf of the federal government under a “substitution agreement.” This meant one assessment carried out by the EAO was used to support separate decisions by each level of government, eliminating the duplication of two assessments for a single project.
The EAO concluded that the project would contribute to cumulative effects from marine shipping and recommended 181 federal mitigation measures to address impacts in areas of federal jurisdiction. These include measures to reduce impacts related to marine shipping, marine accidents, greenhouse gas emissions, underwater noise, fish and fish habitat, southern resident killer whales and First Nations fishing.
While the federal decision is pending, the ministers have written to the federal ministers of Environment and Climate Change, and Transport, and are urging them to impose the EAO-recommended mitigation measures if the project receives federal approval.
Quick Facts:
- Tilbury Jetty GP Inc. must still receive all required federal approvals and provincial permits and authorizations before construction can start.
- Tilbury Jetty GP Inc. estimates construction expenditures between $154 million and $260 million over four years, supporting more than 1,000 full-time jobs.
- A proposed expansion of the existing FortisBC Tilbury LNG plant on Tilbury Island is a separate project, which is undergoing its own environmental assessment.
- The jetty project is not dependent on this expansion.
Learn More:
All documentation ministers considered in making their decision is available on the EAO’s website: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/58851208aaecd9001b829b58/certificates
Ministers’ reasons for decision: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/document/6604818734f3c20022682699/fetch/Reasons%20for%20Ministers%20Decision%20-%20Tilbury%20Marine%20Jetty%20-%2020240327.pdf
For more information on the environmental assessment process, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/eao