The new Port Mann Bridge may have opened in December of 2012, but work on the project is far from over and will continue well into the future. The ongoing highway construction is obvious; less visible are the environmental and habitat enhancements that the Port Mann/Highway 1 (PMH1) Project has underway.
"Habitat enhancement and the environmental part of the [PMH1] Project is one of the big pillars," said Greg Johnson, manager of communications for Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp), the Crown corporation established to implement the PMH1 project.
"The Port Mann/Highway 1 Project puts a tremendous importance on environmental and habitat work, both on- and off-corridor, to make sure the project is delivered to the highest environmental standard."
In order to reach the environmental goals of the PMH1 project, TI Corp took on an unprecedented amount of fish and wildlife habitat work for a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure project in B.C. The PMH1 project improved existing habitats, created new habitats, timed construction to minimize impact to environmentally sensitive periods, and continues to protect and restore areas under active construction.
One example of habitat improvement is the Wilson Farm area of Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam, which was revitalized by the PMH1 Project.
"It was farmland," said Johnson. "Then, in the early 1900s it was diked, and as a result, there was no more salmon access to that area. It used to be a juvenile salmon rearing habitat, an important part of the Coquitlam River, so what we did as a part of the Port Mann/Highway 1 Project was to open that up and install tidal flap gates to slow the way for juvenile fish."
By restoring the tidal flow, the area can once again become a thriving coho and chinook salmon-rearing habitat.
Given the large scope of environmental considerations and projects required for the PMH1 Project, it's no surprise that there were more than a dozen environmental firms involved with ensuring that TI Corp was able to meet its many environmental objectives.
One of these firms was Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd., which was, and continues to be, tasked with fish sampling and collecting riparian (shoreline) vegetation data at various sites along the PMH1 corridor. "We make sure that [habitats] are built in a biologically sound manner and that they function as intended," said Ryan Liebe, president of Triton.
"When it comes to potential environmental impacts, it's often the effects on water that really resonate with B.C. citizens," said Liebe. "We are a team of biologists and environmental professionals [that] specialize largely in freshwater environmental impact assessment and environmental work…. Whether it's a project like the Port Mann Bridge or a pipeline, water issues are going to come to the forefront when you're doing your environmental impact assessment."
This is one reason that environmental consultants are heavily involved in infrastructure projects in B.C.
Liebe noted that Triton will often get involved at the preliminary strategic stage to help clients determine whether the environmental and compensation impacts make the project economically feasible. The firm also plays a part in helping clients get the all-important social licence to do the job.
"A very benign project with no significant environmental effects [can] get turned down if nobody wants it in their backyard," Liebe said. "We have a regional model where we have offices throughout Western Canada. Because there are a lot of decisions made at the local level and knowing those local regulators does help get things through the process."
They also have strong relationships with local First Nations, who are deeply involved with the land on which infrastructure projects take place.
Triton can then help clients with the formal environmental assessment process and through a structured process to mitigate environmental impacts. Acting as independent monitors, the consulting firm can make sure that environmental commitments are being met during construction by, for example, checking water quality or flagging no-work zones to keep crews out of critical habitats. Finally, they will often continue monitoring the project until it's decommissioned.
Currently, Triton is monitoring eight compensation sites along the PMH1 corridor, including Hjorth Creek in Surrey. The completed habitat includes new aquatic and streamside habitats, as well as a fish and wildlife passage under Highway 1 and a new channel to benefit coho salmon, cutthroat trout, amphibians, small mammals and native wildlife. The site may be complete, but the environmental monitoring is ongoing, ensuring that the habitat continues to deliver maximum benefits.
