Disposal at Sea Info:

Log Bundling Strand Recycling Initiative

Each year in Canada, two to three million tonnes of material are disposed of at sea. Most of this is dredged material that must be moved to keep areas clear for navigation and commerce. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada work cooperatively to ensure that dredging and ocean disposal application processes address the needs of all user groups in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring compliance with applicable legislative requirements that are in place to protect the environment.

The review, approval, and permitting processes are designed to help conserve Canada's natural resources, sustain the region's environmental quality, comply with all legal requirements, and meet Canada's international obligations. Industry stakeholders, members of the public, First Nations, and other regulatory agencies are publicly informed and invited to provide comments throughout the decision-making process. Monitoring and assessing projects throughout the process are crucial components to meeting regulatory requirements and addressing business needs.

Recent monitoring surveys of log handling facilities and dredging operations have highlighted the need to work with British Columbia's forest industry to improve log bundling strand handling practices. Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are concerned with the estimated 38 million feet of log bundling strand that is deposited annually on the bottom of forest industry water lots and designated ocean disposal sites. Annual maintenance dredging and subsequent ocean disposal of the spoils includes a significant amount of log bundling strand which can adversely impact aquatic ecosystems. Simple and economically feasible precautions designed to increase log bundling strand recycling success can reduce equipment breakdown and limit worker injuries.

PARTNERSHIPS:

The Log Bundling Strand Recycling Initiative is a government - industry partnership between Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Coast Forest and Lumber Association, River Cable, Weyerhaeuser, and Fred Schiller Boom Gear. While the specific interests of each partner is varied and unique, the common objective is to provide the industry with tools and incentives to ensure that log bundling strand is handled in an economically viable and environmentally responsible manner.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

In August 2001, Environment Canada’s Ocean Disposal Control Program began working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the forest industry, and dredging contractors to develop and implement a Log Bundling Strand Recycling Initiative. Each year B.C.’s coastal forest industry uses approximately 50 million feet of log bundling strand, a galvanized wire-rope that is used to keep log bundles together while being transported in coastal waters. Once the logs reach the mills, the bundles are broken and the strand is usually discarded. Until recently less than 12% of the bundling strand was recycled - the remaining 38 million feet was often discarded in our coastal waterways. In partnership with industry, Environment Canada has developed an educational video entitled "Join Together" and a poster to promote environmentally responsible alternatives while reducing any potentially adverse impacts in the coastal environment. Communication has been the key in maintaining an open relationship with the forest industry, dredging contractors, strand manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and interested stakeholders. Stakeholders have been kept informed of the program through the distribution of a poster and a video, both of which have been designed to target those specifically cutting and salvaging the bundling wire. Subsequent correspondence outlining Environment Canada’s expectations was sent to industry representatives in management positions.

Environment Canada personnel attended industry conferences, including the 2003 Truck Loggers Association Convention, in an attempt to reach as many stakeholders as possible. To augment the communication strategy, articles have been published in key forest and marine industry trade journals with a combined circulation of approximately 15 000 readers. The forest industry’s awareness and support for this initiative is growing steadily and we expect to see significant changes to log handling and dredging practices in the coming months.

PROGRAM SUCCESS:

The ease of implementation coupled with the social, economic and environmental benefits of bundling strand recycling have made Environment Canada's Log Bundling Strand Recycling Initiative a resounding success. These include:

. Recycling of bundling strand increased to 884 tonnes in 2002 from 195 tonnes in 2001, an increase of more than 450%;

. Strand recycling companies project that strand recovery in 2003 will be double that of 2002;

. The length of recycled strand sold in British Columbia in 2002 was double that of 2001; and

. Strand recycling companies expect to be able to recover and recycle 90% of the new bundling strand entering coastal waterways within two years, compared to the 24% recovered and recycled in 2001.

Since its inception, the Log Bundling Strand Recycling Initiative has had a profound effect on the amount of bundle strand wasted in coastal waterways. The recycling industry report a 450% increase in bundling strand recovery since the implementation of the Initiative. The cooperative effort between the forest industry, dredging contractors, strand manufacturers, regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders has made the recycling of bundling strand simple and economically feasible

NEXT STEPS:

The almost 50 million feet of log bundling strand used by coastal logging operations can be recovered and recycled. Recovery beats the cost of the loss of even one boom boat propeller, which translates into thousands of dollars in downtime and repair costs. Additionally, paying standby fees for a barge and crew while workers recover strand from dredged material is even more expensive. Scrapping of recovered strand must then occur after they are cut up for transport. Add to that, the potential for delayed dredging approvals, ocean disposal refusals, and subsequent and costly upland disposal. Collection and recycling of log bundling strand really makes it easier for industry to function.

The partnership between Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the forest industry, log bundling strand producers and recycling companies, and dredging contractors has been paramount. Together with our partners, Environment Canada is striving to accurately identify all facets of the issue, set realistic expectations and achieve measurable results, develop a communication and education strategy, and provide our clients with the tools and incentive to change.