Vancouver Fraser Port Authority for example, has been aggressive, taking CIDC, a private marine contractor, to federal court. This legal action follows a CIDC and its affiliate, Perimeter Construction, July 28th, 2023 oil spill incident. The lawsuit is based on environmental damages related to barge loading, unloading, or repair activities performed on the leased property. The port authority is pursuing any costs recoverable on cleanup expenses incurred on the spill, officials said. Second, they are taking CIDC to task for their continued failure to vacate the property once their lease expired.
CIDC signed a long-term lease of the property with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on March 31, 2013. Their original lease was scheduled to expire on February 28, 2018. Once the lease finished, CIDC just stayed on the land as a month-to-month tenant. In mid-October, complications kicked in when, without warning, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced that they were terminating the lease – effective January 11, 2024. This decision followed CIDC’s inability to meet basic requirements.
To implement the termination directive, CIDC was ordered to remediate the oil spill on the property before leaving the land. Notwithstanding this requirement, CIDC did not complete its cleanup obligations by the set deadline of June 30, 2024. This inaction prompted Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to send nine official letters between July 18, 2024, and March 21, 2025, reiterating the lease termination and urging compliance.
Protestors alluded CIDC a three-month formal notice that they should vacate the private property by July 16, 2024. Nevertheless, they persisted, paying rent all the way up through when their lease formally expired. CIDC and Perimeter Construction still maintain presence on the site. Their business activities have raised further questions about corporate environmental stewardship and the ability to comply with port regulation.
The legal action taken by Vancouver Fraser Port Authority underscores the importance of accountability in business operations and environmental stewardship. The authority aims to recover damages incurred from the spill and ensure that proper cleanup measures are implemented to protect the surrounding ecosystem.
