On The Blog
Stay informed by reading our regularly posted articles on industry updates.
Groundwater Dewatering Discharge in the City of Vancouver
Groundwater and stormwater are required to be managed during site construction activities in the City of Vancouver (COV). For a property that had industrial or commercial activities or is a...
Keystone Environmental Biologist Embarking on 29 Day Fraser River Adventure
Corrie Allen a fish and wildlife biologist at Keystone Environmental Ltd., is one of six individuals who have been selected from across the province to participate in the 2019 Sustainable Living...
Brownfield Remedial Options Evaluations
by Richard Johns, P.Eng. Once you have investigated a contaminated site and determine the presence and extent of contaminants, a determination on the preferred remediation option needs to be made....
Keystone Environmental Named One of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for Second Consecutive Year
Keystone Environmental Ltd., the go to environmental consulting firm, announced today that it has once again been named one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., for...
How Engineers stay Relevant in 2019
by Francisco A. Perelló, P.Eng. The Role of Engineering in the World of Industry 4.0 As part of National Engineering Month, on March 5, 2019, I attended the UBC Student and Industry Night which was...
Contaminated Soil Relocation in BC
Current and Future Changes Previously, soils that exceeded the former Schedule 7 standards of the Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) could only be moved to a site other than a permitted landfill...
National Engineering Month Feature | Zahra Pirani & Nigel Grewal
March is National Engineering month! This month Keystone Environmental professionals of engineering share what an exciting and fun career choice engineering really is. Last month we featured some of...
Women in Environmental Science
At Keystone Environmental we know how important it is to see diversity in the workplace and to celebrate the accomplishments of all of our staff. In honour of International Day of Women and Girls in...
Bird Nesting Season
As spring approaches, so do sensitive timing periods for a variety of wildlife. Recently, spring bird nesting has become the focus for many local municipalities during the permitting process for...
Engineered Wetlands; Long Term Sustainable Solutions
Planting Logistics While an engineered wetland approach is in itself innovative for dissolved sulphide wastewater treatment, providing a sustainable, low maintenance solution offers an...
White Sturgeon | An Uncertain Future for the Dinosaur of our Rivers
Source: Wikipedia White Sturgeon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sturgeon)With extensive habitat change and increasing recreational fisheries pressures throughout their range, the future of...
Contamination Impact on Land Value
The 2018 Property Assessment information has now been announced. Commercial property values in Greater Vancouver increased between the 5% - 50% range. BC Assessment's evaluation of Greater...
Hydrogeological Study
Hydrogeological Study Requirement for the City of Vancouver and other Jurisdictions The City of Vancouver (COV), Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability Department recently issued a Groundwater...
Rain Gardens and Infiltration Systems
Designing Infiltration Systems to Return Rainwater to the Ground With the rising density of housing in Metro Vancouver, many Municipalities are promoting the use of rain gardens and infiltration...
Acoustic Bat Monitoring
Bats are an important, but often an overlooked part of many natural and urban ecosystems, as they consume nuisance insect populations such as mosquitoes and beetles that impact crops and forestry....
New Regional Background Groundwater Concentrations Released
The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (BC ENV) has recently released Technical Bulletin 3: Regional Background Concentrations for Select Inorganic Substances in Groundwater. ...
Side-Scan Sonar Surveys to Mitigate Impacts to Sturgeon
Keystone Environmental is using side-scan sonar during pre-dredging monitoring surveys to detect white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and minimize risks to this important at-risk species. The...
Environmental Considerations for Dedicated Land
As part of the development process, many municipalities will request a portion of the property to be redeveloped be dedicated to the municipality. The dedicated land is often to widen roads or...
Collecting Accurate Data in Environmental Remediation
Field Equipment Usage & Maintenance is Key in Collecting Accurate Data The selection, maintenance and safe use of field equipment is essential to collecting accurate data in environmental...
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
A new and exciting opportunity to discover what species are living in a habitat has arrived! The process is called environmental DNA, or eDNA, and involves the analysis of environmental samples...
Japanese Beetle Soil Movement Restrictions
As of April 27, 2018, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is restricting movement of soil and plant material out of the False Creek area due to the identification of an invasive plant pest,...
Raminder Grewal is an EY Entrepreuner of the Year® 2018 Pacific Region finalist!
July 6, 2018 Keystone Environmental Ltd., the go to environmental consulting firm, announced today that Raminder Grewal, President, is an EY Entrepreneur of the Year® 2018 Pacific Region finalist....
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation
Reliable Operators Available 24 Hours a Day Keystone Environmental Ltd. has nearly thirty years of experience in wastewater treatment plant operation across British Columbia, from the Lower Mainland...
New Bill Proposed to Amend the Fisheries Act
Potential for Change to the Project Review Process On February 6th, 2018 Bill C-68 was announced, which proposes significant amendments to the Fisheries Act. The focus of the amendments is the...
Keystone Environmental Named One of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers
Keystone Environmental Ltd., the go to environmental consulting firm, announced today that it has been named one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers by...
Off Site Migration
What to do if Someone has Contaminated your Site by Michael Geraghty, P.Geo. Senior Technical Manager You have just received a Notification of Likely or Actual Migration from your neighbor saying...
TCE Contamination Delineation, Remediation & Management
This project included the completion of a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) Stage 1 and Stage 2, Detailed Site Investigation (DSI), Remedial Options Evaluation, off-site remediation, Human Health...
Spill Response
Keystone Environmental assists clients in spill response activities ranging from initial impact assessment to directing and implementing response actions to protect the environment, effect clean up,...
Sointula Ferry Terminal Replacement
The Sointula Ferry terminal replacement included removal of the existing wharf, life cycle improvements to the trestle and transfer span, and construction of a new berth in the area of the existing...
Lawson Foreshore Enhancement Project
John Lawson Park, on the waterfront in the Ambleside West Vancouver community was in danger of damage from ocean wave action during King Tides. Keystone Environmental worked with the District of...
New Industrial Wharf & Shiploader
Keystone Environmental completed the environmental investigations and approvals for this facility upgrade. The plan was to replace the nearly 100-year-old wharf facility with a new Panamax bulk...
Shoreline Protection Project
Keystone Environmental completed a marine habitat assessment of 16 foreshore and backshore locations around the William Head Institution in Metchosin, BC in 2014/2015. We collected baseline habitat,...
Vancouver Shipyards Modernization Project
The Vancouver Shipyards Modernization Project involved the development of a shipbuilding and ship repair centre, which included reconfiguring existing buildings, eight new buildings and a load‑out...
Discharge Permitting
Discharge Permitting: Engineers Making Compliance Easier Does your business have an air or liquid discharge to the environment? Does your process generate air particulate or chemicals...
Spring Bird Nesting
by Jayme Brooks, B.Sc., R.PBio. Intermediate Biologist As spring approaches, so do sensitive timing periods for a variety of wildlife. Recently, spring bird nesting has become the focus...
New Metal Groundwater Standards
The recently adopted Stage 11 Amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulations (CSR) included new groundwater standards for metals such as cobalt, lithium and thallium that are less than...
New Keystone Environmental Staff
Keystone Environmental continues to enjoy rapid growth and a healthy pipeline of projects and as such, we are always on the lookout for the best and brightest in the environmental field....
Stormwater Groundwater Management Regulatory Update
The City of Burnaby now requires groundwater management for site remediation and construction development activities in Burnaby to be incorporated into the storm water management...
Contamination Impact on Land Value
Commercial property values in Greater Vancouver increased between 15 to 30%. BC Assessment's evaluation of Greater Vancouver includes Vancouver, the North Shore, Squamish, Burnaby, the...
National Pollutant Release Inventory
The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) 2016 reporting deadline of June 1, 2017 is fast approaching, and Keystone Environmental Ltd. offers the skills, resources and experience to improve...
Project Manager New Years Resolutions
With 2017 right around the corner, brands and businesses are putting the finishing touches on their strategies for the New Year. Whether it’s exceeding revenue targets over 2016,...
City Of Surrey Adopts New Ecosystem Protection By-law
The City of Surrey has adopted a new By-law changing the way projects are to be developed within 50 metres of a regulated watercourse or ditch. On September 12, 2016 the City of Surrey...
Chatterton Chemicals
At this former Dow Chemical plant site, Chatterton Chemical's soil and groundwater were contaminated, the main source being a major toluene spill during plant operation. Following more than 10...
Keystone Environmental Pledges Support to "Cassie & Friends"
Keystone Environmental Pledges Support to Cassie & Friends, a charity that supports children and their families who are dealing with childhood rheumatic diseases. In keeping with the...
Squamish Barge Spill
In early April, the Canadian Coast Guard took control of two derelict barges after one barge was found sinking in the Mamquam Blind Channel. After spill containment booms were placed...
Similkameen River Diesel Spill
In early April 2016, a fuel tanker truck with trailer and pup traveling east on the Crowsnest Highway was involved in a motor vehicle accident, which caused the pup trailer to rupture and veer over...
Alberta Wildfire Relief Fund
It has been a longstanding tradition at Keystone Environmental to give back to the community, supporting local charities and causes. This tradition is a strong component of our Company Culture and...
Annual Reporting National Pollutant Release Inventory
Annual reporting to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is mandatory under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The NPRI is Canada’s legislated, publicly...
Reporting Requirements NPRI
Since 1999, Environment Canada has collected data from Canadian companies regarding the release of known pollutants to air, water and land within Canada. Using the National Pollutant...
Proposed Changes BC Contaminated Sites Regulation
The Ministry of Environment (MOE) has recently issued a series of omnibus documents that describe the status of new stage 10 amendments to the BC Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR). The...