Hatfield study for Montreal Port Authority identifies how earth observation can support environmental monitoring
Oct 11, 2018
Hatfield supported the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to review the feasibility of using Earth Observation technology for environmental monitoring during the construction and operation of a proposed container terminal.
To handle the growth of the container market in Quebec and Eastern Canada, the MPA plans to develop a container terminal at Contrecœur, 40 km east of Montreal. Construction, planned to begin in 2020, will include dredging of approximately 840,000 m3 of sediment to create an approach and mooring area opposite the future 675 m long wharf. Hatfield worked with Arctus Inc to review the feasibility of using remote sensing technology for the monitoring of a range of environmental parameters to support management and protection of riparian ecosystems during the construction and operation of the terminal. The study was featured this month in the Quebec remote sensing association (Association québécoise de télédétection) newsletter (in French).
The study confirmed that current Earth Observation technologies are cost-effective and could enhance and extend required environmental monitoring programs. The key requirements were:
- total suspended solids monitoring on a daily basis during dredging (see Fig. 1)
- wetland assessment downstream of the proposed port
- seagrass bed assessment
- coastline monitoring of erosion and deposition areas
- land cover and land use mapping
Fig.1 Example of TSS concentration in the St. Lawrence River mapped using a PlanetScope image acquired on 01 October, 2017
For more information about application of remote sensing technologies for environmental monitoring, please review our remote sensing services.
For more information, please contact:
Andy Dean
Senior Partner
HATFIELD CONSULTANTS PARTNERSHIP
E-mail: hcp@hatfieldgroup.com
Tel.: +1-604-926-3261
Toll-Free: +1-866-926-3261
