The Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) contains commitments to harbours environmental action. Implementation is carried out through the Victoria and Esquimalt Harbours Environmental Action Program (VEHEAP), an intergovernmental initiative working to protect and improve environmental quality in Victoria and Esquimalt harbours, Portage Inlet, the Gorge Waterway and Esquimalt Lagoon.
In 1993, the main regulatory agencies began discussion a cooperative approach to address environmental degradation in the harbours. In 1994, VEHEAP was established through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which the partner agencies agreed to work together to protect and improve the environmental quality in the harbours whilerecognizing the social and economic needs of the community and harbour users.
These agencies signed off on an environmental management strategy (EMS) for the harbours in 2000.
In 2003, the VEHEAP partners reviewed the program and identified a need to change the implementation structure to meet the needs of all partner agencies and to better address the needs of the community.
These include changes in the authorities and jurisdiction of agencies and stakeholders involved in harbours’ environmental management. The VEHEAP partners determined that a review of the program was appropriate to determine how to respond to these changing needs and to improve the overall effectiveness of VEHEAP.
All VEHEAP member agencies indicated a continued commitment to both the MOU and the EMS.