Environmental compliance monitoring and potential effect monitoring plans required following project approvals, environmental assessment certificates (EAC), and authorizations (e.g., Fisheries Act Authorization issued to compensate fish habitat loss). The EAC prescribes legally binding conditions that must be adhered to throughout the life of the project, including pre-construction, construction, operations, and decommissioning.
Where we can help
Ecofish delivers effective, innovative compensation and mitigation programs, designed to meet tight project deadlines, and satisfy compliance requirements. We have a long-standing reputation for developing scientifically defensible monitoring plans, including construction environmental monitoring plans (CEMPs) and operational environmental monitoring plans (OEMPs). We also develop mitigation and offsetting (compensation) habitat monitoring plans and supporting studies, tailored to meet the requirements of environmental certificates, permits, and authorizations within the unique environmental setting of each project.
What we offer
Our team of skilled professional fisheries and wildlife biologists, hydrologists, chemists, and engineers develop effective compensation and compliance monitoring plans in collaboration with regulatory agencies.
Our compliance and effects monitoring plans are designed to:
- ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulatory permits, approvals, and requirements
- compensate for footprint habitat loss
- assist in verifying the EA’s potential effects predictions
- monitor the effectiveness of proposed EA mitigation and compensation measures
- ensure proper implementation of mitigation measures
Our plans include:
- detailed monitoring requirements for multiple components, including:
- spillway, fish screens, and fishway evaluation
- aquatic habitat and species (water temperature, water quality, invertebrate drift, fish community, juvenile abundance, and fish migration)
- wildlife species surveys and habitat suitability assessment (avian, large and small mammals, amphibian, nesting birds, and species at risk)
- stream channel geomorphology.
- multi-year monitoring programs and associated defensible statistical analysis to determine the success of environmental protection measures, habitat offsetting, and restoration activities
- annual reporting and recommendations for any changes to existing programs
In addition to these core long term monitoring services we also support our clients with short-term compliance monitoring as required during construction or during project operations. This could include:
- tunnel flushing water quality assessment
- real-time turbidity monitoring for the protection of fish using the Severity of Ill Effect (SEV) index
- commissioning fish salvage and ramping studies
