Environmental Assessment

Issue Summary | Industry Response | Issue Management 

 

Issue Summary

Over the last thirty years, environmental assessment (EA) has evolved as an important planning and decision-making tool used in more than 100 countries. In Canada, constitutional responsibility over environmental management, protection and assessment in is shared among federal, provincial and territorial authorities and jurisdictions.  Through EA, the environmental effects of a proposed project can be identified, assessed and mitigated early in project planning, at both the federal and provincial levels. Member companies of CEA are all potentially subject to federal EA processes for new projects or for alterations to existing projects, and CEA as the national voice of the industry, represents the membership in national dialogue on the topic.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) oversees the federal Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), which was adopted in 1992. The Agency reports directly to the Minister of the Environment. The first Five Year Review of the Act, which began in 1999, culminated in 2001, with the Minister’s Report to Parliament and the introduction of the Act to Amend CEAA (Bill C-9) based on the national consultations and experiences gained over the first five years. Bill C-9 came into effect on October 30, 2003.

CEA and its members recognize the importance of EA because the process provides an avenue for mitigating environmental effects, provides communities a forum to voice their concerns and suggestions, and helps decision makers better integrate a project’s environmental, social and economic considerations.

However, environmental assessment should be done efficiently as possible, to make sure that needed investment in generation and transmission infrastructure proceeds in order to provide Canadians with reliable and cost-effective electricity.  The current EA structure has in some cases resulted in unnecessary regulatory complexity; increased, uncertain, or absent timelines for project approvals, and lack of process clarity for all stakeholders, including project proponents, regulators, the public, and First Nations.  Changes to Canada’s EA process are necessary in order to facilitate electricity infrastructure investment.

The federal government has begun taking steps to address these issues.  The establishment of the Major Projects Management Office (MPMO) in 2007 and its goal of reducing the current average regulatory review for major resources projects from four to two years holds promise, as do changes to the EA process included in the 2010 Budget Implementation Act.  However, industry requires concrete changes to legislation and implementing regulations in order to enable required investment.  

Section 32 (1) of the 2003 amending legislation (Bill C-9) requires a comprehensive review of the Act “within seven years of the bill receiving Royal Assent”.  As such, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development was to have initiated a statutory review of CEAA in 2010.  A Statutory review of the Species and Risk Act (SARA) and other Committee business delayed the start of the review; however it is expected to be initiated in 2011.  This review will provide an opportunity for the electricity industry to express key concerns to the federal government and to suggest specific areas in which CEAA can be improved. 

 

Industry Response

Given that member companies of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) are all potentially subject to Canadian environmental assessment (EA) processes for new projects or for alterations to existing projects, it is important that the electricity industry engage with the federal government to ensure that the EA process is continually improved to better protect the environment in a more efficient manner.

CEA has established a good working relationship with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Major Projects Management Office (MPMO), enabling us to communicate industry views about the Act.  Through its ongoing contact with these and other federal agencies, CEA articulates the industry position of regional electricity providers. CEA’s efforts aim at streamlining and enhancing the efficiency of the environmental assessment process and regulations to permit the construction of new generation and transmissions infrastructure in a more timely and cost effective manner.

 

Issue Management

Key Contact
Michelle Turner
Director, Generation and Environment
Tel:  613-688-2953
Fax:  613-230-9326
Email:  turner@electricity.ca