Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) President and CEO, Captain Gordon Houston, today announced that the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has accepted the VPA's Deltaport Third Berth Project Application for formal review.

The Deltaport Third Berth Project is the first phase of the Vancouver Port Authority initiative to expand container handling facilities at Roberts Bank in Delta, B.C. The Project requires an environmental assessment certificate under the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act and is also subject to review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The EAO is inviting comments on the Deltaport Third Berth Project Application during a formal public comment period that runs from February 24, 2005 to April 25, 2005.

"We are pleased to reach this stage of the review process," said Houston. "The Deltaport Third Berth Project is an important part of our efforts to capture the significant increase in container volumes predicted over the next 20 years for the benefit of B.C. and Canadian workers, and provincial and national economies."

Members of the public are encouraged to review the Application and supporting documents which will be available shortly through the EAO website at www.eao.gov.bc.ca and the VPA website at www.portvancouver.com/container_expansion/deltaport. As well, the VPA will host public events in Delta to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the Deltaport Third Berth Project Application. Dates and locations of the public events will be posted in local newspapers and on the VPA website.

"The Roberts Bank Container Expansion Program is part of a broader Vancouver Port Authority initiative to expand container terminal capacity at the Port of Vancouver, and capture the significant increases in container volumes predicted over the next 20 years," said David Stowe, Chairman, VPA. "The growth of container traffic on the west coast of North America is due to the rapid expansion of overseas trade with Pacific Rim nations, as well as the growth in containerization of a larger range of products."

The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and most diversified port, trading $29 billion in goods with more than 90 trading economies each year. Port activities generate 62,000 jobs in total with $1.6 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $3.5 billion in economic output.

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For more information, please contact:

Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(604) 218-1403 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com

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