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Preliminary Work Begins on Burrard Inlet Dredging Project to Boost Tanker Capacity

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has started consultations and field studies, with conditional support from British Columbia and opposition from environmentalists and some First Nations.

Burrard Inlet seen from a seaplane.
Crude oil tankers SFL Sabine, back left, and Tarbet Spirit are seen docked at the Trans Mountain Westridge Marine Terminal, where crude oil from the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline is loaded onto tankers, in Burnaby, B.C.
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Overview

  • The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has initiated preliminary work for the Burrard Inlet dredging project, including consultations with First Nations and field studies.
  • The project aims to allow Aframax-class oil tankers to pass fully loaded under the Second Narrows Bridge, optimizing shipping efficiency.
  • British Columbia's government supports the project on the condition that environmental and First Nations consultation requirements are met.
  • Critics, including environmental groups, experts, and some First Nations, have raised concerns about potential ecological and cultural impacts.
  • The dredging proposal is tied to the expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline, which has doubled oil throughput but currently limits tanker loading to 80% capacity due to draft restrictions.