Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Five Year
Review
A Citizens' Briefing Kit for the Five Year Review
The Environmental Assessment and Planning Caucus
of the Canadian Environmental Network has facilitated
the preparation and distribution of this series
of papers to provide background and support to
public participation in the five year review of
the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The
papers express the views of the authors and some
members of the EA Caucus. The Canadian Environmental
Network is non-advocacy information sharing and
networking organization with more than 600 member
groups across Canada.
For more information please contact the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Caucus
Canadian Environmental Network,
300 - 945 Wellington Street, Ottawa ON K1Y 2X5
Tel: (613) 728-9810 ext. 25
Fax: (613) 728-2963
E-Mail:jannis@cen-rce.org
Table of Contents
(Each section can be indidually downloaded
in PDF Format)
1. Introduction
An introduction to the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act, the five year review, and priority
issues for the improvement of environmental performance.
PDF
2. Good EA Practice
Good EAs are a crucial planning tool to help achieve
sustainability; good EA includes projects, policies,
plans, and programs.
PDF
3. Predictability, Consistency & Timeliness
Predictability, consistency and timeliness are
a matter of reducing discretion, ensuring early
public involvement, and improving the implementation
of the process.
PDF
4. Public Participation
Public participation is a cornerstone of effective
environmental assessments, and essential to EA
as a planning tool
PDF
5. Needs and Alternatives
Assessing needs and alternatives are an essential
part of using EA as a planning tool to achieve
sustainability.
PDF
6. Consistent Criteria for Approval
Inconsistency in applying various tests in
CEAA has been a major problem with implementation;
examples include "justified in the circumstance",
and "significant adverse environmental effect".
PDF
7. Policy Assessments
Legislated policy, plan, and program assessment
is an essential next step in the evolution of
federal EAS.
PDF
8. Participant Funding
Meaningful public participation requires
funding. Participant funding is money well-spent,
supporting the important role of the public and
the recognizing the increased contribution made
possible when funding is available
PDF
9. Follow-up, Enforcement of EA
Good follow-up, monitoring and enforcement of
assessments allow for ongoing improvement of the
process, and ensure that the EA outcomes are considered
in future assessments.
PDF
10. Enforcement of Process
Enforcement of the process is crucial to
ensure consistent and effective application by
various government agencies and proponents, and
to reduce litigation.
PDF
11. Cumulative Effects
Cumulative effect assessment is a crucial
planning tool in the context of project EAS; assessment
of cumulative effects needs to be strengthened.
PDF
12. Projects Outside Canada
Consensus regulations drafted by the Regulatory
Advisory Committee address many of the shortcomings
of what is currently proposed. This draft regulation
should be re-examined.
PDF
13. Value in Small Project EA
Unsustainable development is the product of many
decisions, which in isolation, seem to have a
small impact. To give up on considering the environmental
implications of all decisions is to give up on
sustainability.
PDF
14. Duplication of Process
The concern over duplication is a red herring;
there is every opportunity for "one project, one
assessment". If jurisdictions decide on separate
assessments, this is because a joint EA does not
meet their decision-making needs; that is not
duplication
PDF
15. Crown Corporations
Crown corporations have a mandate to act
in the public interest; they should be fully subject
to CEAA, and should be leaders on good EA.
PDF
16. Constitutional Authority
There is a constitutional obligation - and
it is good public policy - to have a strong federal
role in EA
PDF
17. Cost of Not Doing EA
The cost of not doing EA generally is the
cost of not achieving a sustainable society. Without
effective EA, we cannot become sustainable. Costs
include environmental, social and fiscal.
PDF
18. Departmental Resources
More resources must be made available within
the federal government to improve the implementation
of CEAA.
PDF
Readers
PDF
Reference
PDF
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