“This change to the MMCD sand specifications opens the door to new markets for Fraser River sand,” said Captain Allen Domaas, President and CEO of the Fraser River Port Authority. “The Port Authority is funded by port users, and presently bears the entire financial burden for dredging the river.”

Sand sales help the Port Authority offset a small portion of the multi-million dollar cost of dredging the main shipping channel to maintain a depth of 11.5 meters – that protects jobs in the region by ensuring shipping will continue and also helps mitigate the threat of flooding in the Lower Mainland. The Fraser River Port Authority removes roughly two million cubic meters of sand from the shipping channel each year - enough to fill Vancouver’s GM Place Stadium.

“With the massive investments being made in the region’s road transportation infrastructure by all levels of government, there are numerous projects underway or planned where river sand is a viable construction material,” adds Domaas. “The Association’s approval came at the right time.”

The Master Municipal Construction Document can be viewed at http://www.mmcd.net/approved_supplementaries.htm.

Fraser River Port is Canada’s largest fresh-water port, and encompasses 270 kilometres of shoreline along the Fraser River from Langley to the Strait of Georgia. It contributes $2.3 billion to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, generates over $236 million in revenues to all levels of government through taxes and fees, and provides over 12,400 direct jobs.

The Fraser River Port Authority has a mandate to facilitate and support marine trade and port-related activities on the main arm of the Fraser River.