The public comment period is open on the proposed Global Container Terminals (GCT) Deltaport Expansion Berth 4 Project (DP4).
The impact Assessment Agency of Canada and B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office are conducting a cooperative assessment of the project, with the comment period an opportunity to provide input on a draft Cooperation Agreement and the draft Terms of Reference for an independent federal review panel.
The comment period runs to March 30, while a pair of virtual information sessions will be held on March 16 and 21.
GCT is the operator of the Deltaport three-berth container facility at Roberts Bank, proposing to add a fourth berth to meet future container capacity demand. The expansion project would incrementally expand the existing container terminal, adding up to two million, twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of capacity.
It is a proposal in competition with the Port of Vancouver’s application to expand container capacity in Delta, the Terminal 2 project. If approved, that project would see a new three-berth facility constructed on a man-made island adjacent to the current Deltaport facility.
The port authority’s T2 project would provide an additional 2.4 million TEUs of container capacity at Roberts Bank, but GCT would not be the operator of the new facility.
The two sides have had a heated war of words. A federal court ruling last July dismissed GCT allegations of bias against the port, after GCT had filed an application for a judicial review.
GCT says the DP4 expansion project has fewer environmental impacts and would be fully funded by private investment.
The port authority says its proposed terminal would be located in deep, subtidal waters to minimize environmental effects, and would be funded by the port authority and private investment, not tax dollars.
Delta Mayor George Harvie wrote to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada last year requesting it postpone its decision on T2 until it can be determined which of the proposed projects would pose fewer adverse environmental and community impacts.
For more information about the DP4 application and the information sessions, check: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/81010/session
