Environment Canada's St. Lawrence Action Plan

History of the Action Plan

Phase I

Phase II

Ten years of achievements

Phase III

•	St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan

•	Components Agriculture Biodiversity Community Involvement Industrial and urban Navigation Human health
•	Objectives
•	Results

•

Partners

Background

Committee

Objectives

Projects

Results

Publications

Background

The St. Lawrence River is one of the longest waterways in the world and generates billions of dollars annually for the Canadian economy. An estimated 100 million tonnes of goods are handled and transported on the St. Lawrence each year. As riverside communities got involved in protecting and conserving the River and in light of the work of the agreement’s partners and the Consultative Committee, it became clear that commercial shipping and pleasure boating had to be considered if the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence was to be ensured. The passage of heavy ships, regular dredging of the River and harbour entrances and the discharge of ballast water are just a few examples of activities that have a significant impact on the environment.

Shipping and boating is a new component of Phase III introduced in response to experts’ and the public’s expectations. A number of measures are planned to promote shipping and boating that are consistent with the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence. Among the issues to be dealt with are dredging, riverbank protection, commercial shipping and pleasure boating practices, contaminated site management and sediment management. In order to meet the expectations of various stakeholders, an assessment of current shipping and boating practices on the St. Lawrence will also be carried out.

This will require consultations with all the departments involved, commercial shipping and pleasure boating stakeholders and a number of social and environmental groups.

Committee

The advisory commitee of the Navigation is co-chaired by a representative of each level of government. It is also composed by members from non-governmental organisms such as: the Société du Port de Montréal, the Corporation des pilotes du Saint-Laurent, Stratégies Saint-Laurent, the Fédération de la Voile de Québec, Les Amis de la vallée du Saint-Laurent, the Shipping Federation of Canada, the Association des amateurs du Saint-Laurent, the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council and the Société d'initiative et de conservation du Bas-Richelieu, to ensure the joint implementation of programs under its responsibility.

The federal departments and provincial ministries involved are:

For the Canada:	For the Québec :
• Environment Canada	• Environnement Québec
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada	• Transports Québec
• Transports Canada	• Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec

Objectives

	Develop and implement a strategy to manage shipping and pleasure boating consistent with the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence in co-operation with the shipping industry, environmental stakeholders, governments and the public.
	Set up a monitoring mechanism for dredging activities in the St. Lawrence.
	Develop the tools and guides needed to improve the management of environmental risks and threats so that shipping and boating do not interfere with the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence.
	Implement a management plan for contaminated sites that might present a risk for the ecosystem.
	Protect the banks of the St. Lawrence against the effects of erosion caused by commercial shipping and pleasure boating.
	Put in place regulations or a code of good practice for the discharge of ballast water.
	Produce or update tools to improve sediment management practices.

Projects

	Set up a monitoring mechanism for dredging activities in the St. Lawrence
	•	Create an advisory committee for dredging activities. HAS BECOME: Implement and ensure the functioning of the Working Group on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments
	•	Develop a standardized approach to sediment management
	•	Pool data related to dredging along the St Lawrence
	Protect the banks of the St. Lawrence against the effects of erosion caused by commercial shipping and pleasure boating — The St Lawrence shoreline between Cornwall and Montmagny
	•	Assess the feasibility of and, as needed, implement new measures to monitor ship speed in areas sensitive to erosion at pertinent periods of the year
	•	Conduct an economic study to assess the potential impact new measures for monitoring ship speed would have on the shipping industry
	•	Analyse the feasibility of creating a permanent fund (and, if yes, implement it)
	•	Develop an erosion-sedimentation model for the St Lawrence River
	•	Marine weather project
	Put in place regulations or a code of good practice for the discharge of ballast water
	•	New title: Assessment of Current Regulations Governing the Unintentional Introduction of Exotic Species Through Ballast Sediments and Waters of Ocean Vessels in the Estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence
	•	Summarize the various guidelines or other existing procedures for managing cargo-hold bilge residue and flushing water
	Develop the tools and guides needed to improve the management of environmental risks and threats so that shipping and boating do not interfere with the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence
	•	Establish a protocol and an operational guide for the applying biorestoration for cleaning grass beds in freshwater (see also: Wetlands Recover from Oil Spill)
	•	Develop a model for assessing risks associated with ship movement in the St Lawrence. HAS BECOME: Development method based on navigation-aid risks on the St Lawrence River
	•	Forecast/predict water levels at the current Sinéco network
	•	Implement a St Lawrence observatory (OSL)
	Develop and implement a strategy to manage shipping and pleasure boating consistent with the sustainable development of the St. Lawrence in co-operation with the shipping industry, environmental stakeholders, governments and the public — Toward sustainable navigation in Maritime Magazine (PDF Format)
	•	Provide an overview of environmental, social and economic aspects of shipping in the St Lawrence
	•	Organize a seminar on sustainable shipping and boating on the St Lawrence
	•	Develop a sustainable shipping and boating strategy (FORMERLY: Establish codes of ethics and raise awareness of boating, shipping and major shipping and boating player)
	Implement a management plan for contaminated sites that might present a risk for the ecosystem
	•	Develop management plans and support the industry in planning and carrying out project
	•	Characterize worrying contaminated sites
	Produce or update tools to improve sediment management practices
	•	Update the legislative framework for managing dredging spoil
	•	Assess the impact the disposal of dredging non-contaminated sediments at Île Madame has on marine wildlife and map habitat critical to wildlife in the River
	•	Assess various beneficial use solutions of dredging sediments
	•	Produce a monitoring guide and monitor dredging projects
	•	Produce a guide to select and develop disposal sites for dredged sediments
	•	Review the Sediment Sampling Guide for Dredging and Marine Engineering Projects in the St. Lawrence Rive
	•	Review the Guide méthodologique pour la caractérisation chimique des sédiments (Methods Manual for the Chemical Characterization of Sediments)
	•	Review the criteria for assessing sediment quality
	•	Determine the background noise of contaminants in Sediments in the St Lawrence (this hyperlink leads to the Internet site of Environment Canada, St. Lawrence Centre)
	•	Development of an Ecological Risk Assessment Framework for Sediments
	More information about activities carried out for this component

Results

	Biennial Report 1998-2000, p. 24
	Annual Report 2000-2001, p. 32

Publications from work carried out for this component

To consult the documents published about this component, see the Query on-line database. Many publications are on-line and available by hyperlink on this website.