Regulatory Corner - December 2024

British Columbia – Guideline for Submitting Invasive Investigation Plans and Instrumentation Records

Following industry and stakeholder consultation, the Province’s Dam Safety Program has now approved and release the "Guideline for Submitting Invasive Investigation Plans and Instrumentation Records”.

Invasive investigations into dams can be a high-risk activity and should not be undertaken unless the risks that are inherent to the investigation are assessed, understood, mitigated to the extent practicable, and justified by the information that will be obtained.

In B.C., dam owners are regulated under the Water Sustainability Act and the Dam Safety Regulation (the Regulation).  Under the Regulation, a dam owner who intends to conduct an invasive investigation must, in part, prepare a plan, in the form and with the content specified by a dam safety officer, in relation to the invasive investigation. The Guideline is intended to establish the "form and content" of requirements of the plan to be submitted from acceptance by a dam safety officer.

In drafting the Guideline, the Dam Safety Program first undertook a literature review of recognized best practices. In the end, much of our referenced material came from agencies south of the border such as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR).

The Guideline identifies risks associated with invasive investigations, associated case studies, and provides engineering considerations for planning a program that includes:

• review of existing information
• non-invasive options
• safe location of test holes
• appropriate drilling methods and
• backfilling of test holes.

The Guideline also provides a checklist to aid in a proponent’s having their plan submission being accepted by a dam safety officer.  This includes drawing requirements, an Interim Dam Safety Risk Management Plan (IDSRMP), and an assurance statement signed and sealed by the professional of record.

A copy of the document is available at Dam safety - Province of British Columbia

 

Quebec – Mine Reclamation Plan Guide Update (2024)

Following technical review and consultation, the Quebec Government has approved and released a 2024 updated version of the Province’s Mine Reclamation Plan Guide. The previous version of the Guide dated to 2017. At this time, only a French language version of the updated Guide is available.

Further information is available at: Guide de préparation du plan de réaménagement réaménagement et de restauration des sites miniers au Québec

 

Canada – New Navigable Waters Act Fees

On July 3, 2024, Transport Canada began implementing a new range of fees for a variety of permitting and review functions undertaken under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act.

A copy of the Regulation and the fee schedule is available at https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2024/2024-07-03/html/sor-dors148-eng.html