Program Management: Managing Multiple Sediment Remediation Projects in Esquimalt Harbour
Derek Ormerod1 and Michael Bodman2
1Anchor QEA, LLC
2Department of National Defence
The objective of this presentation is to describe the overall Esquimalt Harbour remediation program and highlight management
elements that have been established to facilitate the success of the overall program in meeting the project remedial goals.
Esquimalt Harbour, located at the south end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is the primary Pacific homeport for the
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The majority of the aquatic lands in the harbour is owned and managed by the Department of
National Defence (DND). Addressing environmental risks associated with contaminated sediments in Esquimalt Harbour is a
high priority for RCN and DND based on the levels of contamination present and the possibility for these sediments to result in
potential human health and environmental risks. Since the contamination present is the result of historical activities and sources,
Esquimalt Harbour is eligible under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) program. The presence of these
contaminants and associated risks has also resulted in Esquimalt Harbour being classified as a Class 1 site (High Priority for
Action) under Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Aquatic Site Classification System. Managing these risks through
remediation or other risk management measures supports DND’s environmental stewardship objectives
Based on many years and multiple studies to document sediment conditions and the results of the recently-completed human
health and ecological risk assessments, sediment remediation has come to be required at ten different sites in the harbour (A Jetty,
B Jetty, C Jetty, ML Floats, portions of Constance Cove, Y Jetty, Lang Cove, D Jetty, F/G Jetty, and Plumper Bay). The
remediation of these sites will be completed through five separate remedial projects [Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project
(EHRP), A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project, Constance Cove Remediation Project (CCRP), Colwood Jetties Remediation Project
(CJRP), and the Plumper Bay Remediation Project (PBRP)]. These projects are being completed by DND with contracting
through Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Defence Construction Canada (DCC). Anchor QEA is the lead
technical consultant for the program and F&M Management Ltd. is the lead project management consultant with support from
Anchor QEA.
Managing a remedial program of this level poses a number of significant challenges that are being addressed and coordinated by
the project team, composed of DND, PSPC, DCC, Anchor QEA, and F&M. Significant challenges include schedule and
operational constraints in completing this project in the midst of a working harbour that includes not only the homeport of the
RCN Pacific fleet, but also the PSPC-owned and operated Esquimalt Graving Dock, as well as being the home to two First
Nations, the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. Additionally, three of the sites are being coordinated with ongoing capital
improvement projects as part of significant infrastructure investments at CFB Esquimalt.
The DND has actively been obtaining project approvals for these various projects through the DND Project Approval processes.
These processes require internal DND approvals for release of funding and require an additional allowance for incorporating
review cycle timelines within the overall project schedules.
A key element to managing the overall program has been combining the multiple individual project schedules. This process has
included incorporation of external constraints, such as berthing pressures and the DND approvals process. Scheduling of the
individual projects and sites was completed by overlaying the estimated durations and milestones of each site to sequence
construction schedules. The intent of the scheduling was to reduce berthing pressures, increase availability of contractors, and
facilitate to the extent possible, multiple tenders.
Potentially the single key item that has facilitated managing the overall project was the development of a Project Management
Plan (PMP) for the EHRP. The PMP outlines the management of the project scope, schedule, and budget. Specifically, the
EHRP’s PMP describes the implementation of tracking tools, techniques, and metrics for key project management processes and
facilitates communication among the project team by providing a common framework and documentation system. The EHRP’s
PMP is both comprehensive, in that it is a single repository for all EHRP project management related material, and practical in
that it provides templates, tools, and techniques to be used in the day-to-day management of the project. To the extent practicable,
this PMP was then extrapolated to the CCRP, CJRP, and PBRP.
Completing a remedial program of this magnitude obviously requires personnel resources. These resources have come from all of
the organizations that comprise the project team, with multiple individuals from each organization being dedicated to completion
of the program. The roles for team members and the paths of communication are outlined in the human resources and
communications chapters of the PMP.
Finally the project team and remedial designers have begun to realize efficiencies through the multiple projects within the
program. Lessons learned from initial sites, as they are completed, are being incorporated into subsequent designs and shared
with the various project teams. This has required that the project teams remain flexible and adapt to changing physical,
organizational, and operational conditions.
The Challenges in Comprehensively Monitoring the In-situ Water Quality Parameters Turbidity and
Dissolved Oxygen to Accurately Interpret Impacts of a Large-Scale Marine Remediation Dredging Project
Morgan Finley1, Kylee Pawluk1, Norm Healey1, Ryan Hill1, Celeste Pakstas2, Adrien Richardot2, Shawn Laidlaw1,
Chris Major3, Andrew Mylly3, Dave Osguthorpe3
1
Azimuth Consulting Group
2
SNC Lavalin Inc.
3
Public Services and Procurement Canada
We discuss how a comprehensive environmental monitoring program for marine sediment remediation projects can
effectively use in-situ measures to track changes to water quality despite challenges that included water quality
criteria that were close to inherently variable ambient conditions. Phase 2 of a large-scale remediation dredging
program at the Esquimalt Graving Dock in Esquimalt Harbour, British Columbia commenced in 2015 and
proceeded for over a year. In-situ monitoring of key water quality parameters such as turbidity and dissolved oxygen
(DO) provided real-time indicators of changing water quality conditions with better spatial and temporal resolution
than may have been achieved with laboratory analysis of water samples alone. Turbidity was used as an in-situ
indicator for Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and as an informal guide for environmental monitoring crews for
determining when collection of water samples would be warranted for analysis of metals and PAHs. However,
relationships between turbidity and other parameters were uncertain and variable for a variety of reasons, leading to
challenges in interpretation of results. DO also presented challenges for monitoring and interpretation as it naturally
varies spatially and temporally due to various processes such as: photosynthesis, decomposition of algal blooms, and
wind and wave action at the air-sea interface. In addition, local hydrography and bathymetry around the work site
appeared to limit tidal exchange and exacerbate natural localized pockets of low DO. Initially, it was unclear
whether low DO near the site was due to dredging activities; however, investigation of additional reference areas
revealed that natural levels of DO vary widely, and that low DO near the site was within the range of reference
conditions. Our experiences illustrate the challenges of monitoring and interpreting in-situ water quality parameters
that are highly variable, and highlight the need for adaptive approaches during implementation of large-scale
monitoring programs.