Overview of Proposed Canadian Impact Assessment Act Presenter: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Overview of Proposed Canadian Impact Assessment Act

Presenter: Christine Loth-Bown Moderator: Bridget John (bridget@iaia.org)

International Association for Impact Assessment

IAIA Webinar Series

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19 March: Reforming the Environmental Permit and Review Process – A Case Study

• Lost in Time: The Black Hole Between ESIA Completion and Project

Implementation

• Health Impact Assessment of a Night Time Economy
• Empowering Indigenous Voices in Impact Assessment
• Understanding Impacts on Vulnerable Populations through Psycho‐

Social Impact Assessment

• Health Considerations in Impact Assessment
• Resettlement and Impact Assessment – Points of Intersection
• More to come…

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Recording?  Questions?  Slides available? 

Overview of Proposed Canadian Impact Assessment Act

Christine Loth-Bown

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New Impact Assessment System

• Context
• Overview
• Current system to proposed system
• Project List
• Participation in the Parliamentary Process

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Context

• On February 8, 2018, the Minister of Environment

and Climate Change tabled Bill C-69

• The bill proposes to repeal the Canadian

Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and replace it with the Impact Assessment Act

• The proposed Impact Assessment Act sets out a

federal process for impact assessment of major projects and the prevention of significant adverse environmental effects for projects on federal lands and outside Canada

Overview

• A single agency – the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

would be responsible for conducting impact assessments

• Broadens the scope of assessments to include environmental,

social, health and economic

• Early, inclusive and meaningful public engagement
• Certainty and predictability through timelines
• Nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government

partnerships with Indigenous peoples

• Decisions based on science and Indigenous traditional

knowledge

• Regional and strategic assessments to support impact

assessments

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IA Process

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Early Engagement

FRO M T O

No ma nda to ry e a rly pla nning a nd e ng a g e me nt pha se

• A ne w ma nda to ry e a rly pla nning a nd e ng a g e me nt

pha se

• Wo uld b e g in whe n the pro po ne nt pro vide s a n initia l

de sc riptio n o f a pro po se d pro je c t

• Will re sult in e a rly dia lo g ue with I

ndig e no us pe o ple s, pro vinc e s, the pub lic a nd sta ke ho lde rs to ide ntify a nd disc uss issue s e a rly, le a ding to b e tte r pro je c t de sig n a nd c o o rdina te d a sse ssme nt

• Ag e nc y c o nfirms whe the r a n a sse ssme nt is re q uire d a nd

the n issue s to pro po ne nt:

• I

mpa c t Asse ssme nt Co o pe ra tio n Pla n (inc luding I ndig e no us E ng a g e me nt a nd Pa rtne rship Pla n, a nd Pub lic Pa rtic ipa tio n Pla n)

• T

a ilo re d I mpa c t Sta te me nt Guide line s

• Pe rmitting Pla n (if re q ue ste d)

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Broadened scope of assessment

FRO M T O

E nviro nme nta l a sse ssme nts

• A mo ve to impa c t a sse ssme nt b a se d o n the princ iple
• f susta ina b ility
• Bro a de n the sc o pe o f a sse ssme nts to inc lude po sitive

a nd ne g a tive e nviro nme nt, e c o no mic , so c ia l a nd he a lth impa c ts

• An a sse ssme nt o f the impa c ts o f a pro je c t o n

I ndig e no us pe o ple s a nd the ir rig hts wo uld b e re q uire d L imite d list o f fa c to rs to c o nside r - I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e a nd c o mmunity kno wle dg e no t ma nda to ry

• Bro a de r se t o f fa c to rs tha t inc lude s re q uire me nts to

c o nside r I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e a nd c o mmunity kno wle dg e , a nd g e nde r-b a se d a na lysis in

• rde r to suppo rt ho listic a nd inte g ra te d de c isio n-

ma king .

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Regulatory Certainty

FRO M T O

T hre e re spo nsib le a utho ritie s

• A sing le Ag e nc y to c o nduc t a sse ssme nts a nd c o o rdina te

Cro wn c o nsulta tio ns with I ndig e no us pe o ple s

• L

ife c yc le re g ula to rs a nd Offsho re Bo a rds wo uld wo rk c o lla b o ra tive ly with the Ag e nc y to pro vide e xpe rtise a s ne e de d L e g isla te d time line s

• L

e g isla te d time line s will b e ma inta ine d fo r impa c t a sse ssme nts a nd e xte nde d to the pla nning a nd de c isio n pha se s

• Ab ility fo r Ministe r to se t time line fo r the a sse ssme nt a t the
• utse t wo uld fa c ilita te ha rmo nize d pro c e sse s

Ge ne ric re vie w g uide line s

• K

e y issue s to b e ra ise d in e a rly pla nning pro c e ss, pro viding c o mpa nie s c la rity with re spe c t to e xpe c ta tio ns fro m the o utse t

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Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

FRO M T O

I ndig e no us pa rtic ipa tio n in re vie ws drive n b y the duty to c o nsult

• Aiming to se c ure c o nse nt thro ug h pro c e sse s b a se d o n

re c o g nitio n o f rig hts

• E

xplic it re q uire me nts to c o nsult a nd c o o pe ra te b e fo re a n a sse ssme nt is b e g un a nd thro ug ho ut

• Co -de ve lo pe d I

ndig e no us e ng ag e me nt a nd pa rtne rships pla ns L imite d o ptio ns fo r c o o pe ra tio n with I ndig e no us g o ve rnme nts

• E

xpa nde d de finitio n o f jurisdic tio n e na b le s o ppo rtunitie s fo r I ndig e no us g o ve rnme nts to e xe rc ise po we rs a nd dutie s unde r the Ac t, inc luding sub stitutio n

• Co lla b o ra tio n o n re g io na l a sse ssme nts a nd mo nito ring

L e g isla tio n sile nt o n c o nside ra tio n o f I ndig e no us rig hts in E A pro c e ss

• Re q uire me nt to a ddre ss impa c ts o n I

ndig e no us rig hts in de c isio n-ma king :

• Ministe r’ s po we r to de sig na te pro je c ts
• Ag e nc y’ s de c isio n whe the r to re q uire a n a sse ssme nt
• Ministe r/ GI

C pub lic inte re st de c isio n a t e nd o f a sse ssme nt

• Purpo se o f Ac t inc lude s re spe c t fo r rig hts

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Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

FRO M T O

Pa rtic ipa nt funding a va ila b le fo r pro je c t c o nsulta tio ns

• I

nc re a se d suppo rt fo r I ndig e no us pa rtic ipa tio n a nd c a pa c ity de ve lo pme nt

• Suppo rt a va ila b le fo r e a rly pla nning pha se

I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e o ptio na l, limite d pro te c tio ns

• Ma nda to ry c o nside ra tio n a nd pro te c tio n o f I

ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e , if pro vide d, a lo ng side o the r so urc e s o f e vide nc e

• Re spe c t fo r I

ndig e no us la ws a nd pro to c o ls fo r its use L imite d e ng a g e me nt

• n po lic ie s a nd

g uide line s

• Co -de ve lo pme nt o f po lic ie s o f inte re st to I

ndig e no us pe o ple s, e .g . tra ditio na l kno wle dg e , I ndig e no us c o o pe ra tio n re g ula tio ns

• I

ndig e no us Adviso ry Co mmitte e to wo rk with the Ag e nc y

• n po lic y a nd te c hnic a l g uida nc e o n issue s o f c o nc e rn

to I ndig e no us pe o ple s

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Public Participation

FRO M T O

Pa rtic ipa tio n in re vie w pa ne ls limite d to inte re ste d pa rtie s

• All Ca na dia ns wo uld b e a b le to pa rtic ipa te in

impa c t a sse ssme nts

• Pub lic pa rtic ipa tio n o ppo rtunitie s pro vide d during

e a rly pla nning a nd impa c t a sse ssme nt pro c e ss L imite d po sting re q uire me nts o n Re g istry

• E

nha nc e d Re g istry to pro vide g re a te r a c c e ss to info rma tio n Pa rtic ipa nt F unding Pro g ra m a va ila b le

• Pa rtic ipa nt F

unding Pro g ra m wo uld b e e xpa nde d to inc lude b ro a de r e lig ib le a c tivitie s a nd I ndig e no us c a pa c ity a nd suppo rt

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Science and Transparency

FRO M T O

No a dviso ry c o mmitte e re q uire d

• E

sta b lishme nt o f a n E xpe rt Adviso ry Co mmitte e o n Sc ie nc e a nd K no wle dg e L imite d use r-frie ndly info rma tio n po ste d

• n Re g istry
• Pla in la ng ua g e summa rie s to inc re a se a c c e ssib ility to

c o mple x sc ie ntific a nd te c hnic a l info rma tio n

• Re q uire me nts to po st ra tio na le fo r de c isio ns

Ava ila b ility, a c c e ssib ility a nd inte g ra tio n o f sc ie nc e a nd kno wle dg e va rie s

• De c isio ns o n pro je c ts a re g uide d b y sc ie nc e , e vide nc e

a nd I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e

• An o pe n sc ie nc e a nd da ta pla tfo rm to pro vide a c c e ss to

info rma tio n re la te d to c umula tive impa c ts, impa c t a sse ssme nts, a nd re g ula to ry pro c e sse s

• Ma nda to ry c o nside ra tio n a nd pro te c tio n o f I

ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e a lo ng side o the r so urc e s o f e vide nc e in impa c t a sse ssme nt

• F

e de ra l a nd, whe n ne e de d, inde pe nde nt re vie ws o f sc ie nc e

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Decision-making

FRO M T O

De c isio ns b a se d

• n whe the r the

pro je c t is like ly to c a use sig nific a nt a dve rse e nviro nme nta l e ffe c ts De c isio n whe the r the a dve rse e ffe c ts a re in the pub lic inte re st, in lig ht o f the fo llo wing fa c to rs:

• de sig na te d pro je c t’ s c o ntrib utio n to susta ina b ility
• E

xte nt o f impa c ts a nd mitig a tio n me a sure s

• impa c ts o n I

ndig e no us pe o ple s a nd rig hts; a nd

• I

mpa c t o n Go ve rnme nt o f Ca na da ’ s e nviro nme nta l

• b lig a tio ns a nd c lima te c ha ng e c o mmitme nts.

GI C de c isio n o nly if the re a re like ly sig nific a nt a dve rse e nviro nme nta l e ffe c ts

• Ministe r de c ide s fo r a sse ssme nts c o nduc te d b y the

Ag e nc y

• GI

C de c ide s fo r a sse ssme nts c o nduc te d b y re vie w pa ne l

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Project List

• The Act applies to designated projects – those projects described in

the Regulations Designating Physical Activities

• Minister may designate any project not described in regulations
• The Government has launched consultations to review the existing

entries of the current regulations in a transparent manner (impactassessmentregulations.ca)

• A criteria-based approach is being used to review the regulations to

focus federal impact assessment on projects that have the most potential for adverse environmental effects in areas of federal jurisdiction

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Participating in the Parliamentary Process

• Any individual or organization may submit a brief to a

committee of the House of Commons, even if they are not given the opportunity to appear before the committee www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/Participate

• A member of the Canadian public who wishes to express

his/ her views or comment on a bill before the House can write or phone his/her Member of Parliament. Any correspondence addressed to a Member of Parliament is free of postage www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/add resses

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Thank you!

Christine Loth-Bown Vice-President, Policy Development Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Christine.Loth-Bown@ceaa-acee.gc.ca

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Questions?

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Thank you!

Next webinar:

19 March: Reforming the Environmental Permit and Review Process – A Case Study

21

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