The Port of Montreal obtains Green Marine certification

JOC Staff |
Montreal, June 4, 2009 - The Port of Montreal officially received Green Marine certification at the Green Tech 2009 conference on green technologies for the shipping industry that took place in Toronto on May 20 and 21. This certification was awarded to Green Marine participants following an evaluation of their environmental performance targeting Green Marine's 6 priority issues, namely: aquatic invasive species, pollutant air emissions, greenhouse gases, cargo residues, oily water and conflicts of use.

Each port undertook its own self-evaluation. However, the procedure followed by the Port of Montreal was subject to an external audit by the certification body Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance. From now on, all participants will have their procedures independently audited. Consequently the next report, due out in 2010, will present each participant's environmental performances evaluated in a standardized manner.

We are especially proud that our evaluation shows that the Port of Montreal's environmental performance surpasses the regulatory requirements now in effect, stated Jean-Luc Bédard, Vice-President, Operations, and Harbour Master at the Montreal Port Authority.

Also related to the ecology and the environment, last year the Port of Montreal conducted, in collaboration with Transport Canada and Environment Canada, an inventory of air emissions related to its activities and, with Environment Canada, an inventory of invasive species present in Port waters. These steps aim to restrict the Port of Montreal's environmental footprint as efficiently as possible.

About Green Marine
Created in October 2007, Green Marine is the St. Lawrence - Great Lakes maritime industry's partner for a sustainable future in both Canada and the United States. Its primary objective is to strengthen the industry's environmental performance through a process of continuous improvement.
Currently, Green Marine membership includes 45 participants in its environmental policy, 21 partners and 24 supporters. For more information on Green Marine, visit the site www.green-marine.org.

About the Montreal Port Authority
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) operates the world's largest inland port. It is a leader among container ports, handling 26 million tonnes of cargo annually. In 2008, the Port of Montreal handled more than 1,473,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The Port of Montreal operates its own rail network, providing direct access to berths, and is linked to two major railways and a highway system. It also operates a grain terminal and a marine passenger terminal. All other terminals are operated by private stevedoring firms. Through its activities, the Port of Montreal generates 18,200 jobs and $1.5 billion in economic spin-offs every year.