Major milestone for the Esquimalt Harbour project

After months of hard work, the $162.5 million-Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project has reached a major milestone with the completion of remediation at the Y-Jetty & Lang Cove site, reports Fraser River Pile and Dredge (FRPD).

Beginning in January 2019, the Y-Jetty & Lang Cove Remediation Project focused on addressing contamination that had accumulated in the harbour seabed after almost 200 years of commercial, military and industrial use.

According to FRPD, during the remediation of the Y-Jetty & Lang Cove site, over 48,500 cubic metres of sediment was dredged from the seabed. The sediment that was removed contained an estimated 14,341 tonnes of contaminants (including aluminum, copper, iron, lead and mercury).

To-date, nearly 215,000 cubic metres of contaminated sediments have been removed from Esquimalt Harbour.

Terry Beech, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, commmented: “The Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project is an important step forward in our government’s commitment to protect the long-term health of our oceans. On top of the positive environmental and biodiversity impacts, this project created good-paying jobs for local communities, including members of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.”

The contaminant removal, in partnership with Milestone Environmental, will provide a healthier, more diverse habitat for marine life in the harbour.

Over the next three years, Base Safety & Environment will continue to monitor the project area, reporting their observations to the Department of Fisheries and Ocean.