A table outlining the prescribed protected areas is available in the regulation on BC Laws. The Reviewable Projects Regulation (RPR) sets out the criteria for determining which projects should be required to undergo an environmental assessment (EA), by defining prescribed project categories and providing thresholds for each category that seek to indicate the potential for adverse effects for their specific project type. Get 60% off during our Black Friday sale for access to Canada’s top investigations on energy, climate, the environment and more. Early feedback on data collection or analysis can help to identify and resolve key issues, reducing the potential for delays later in the process. The new Act and the majority of regulations were brought into force on December 16th, 2019. has declared a state of emergency. But critics say it still allows the government discretion to exempt certain projects, relies too much on evidence provided by project proponents, lacks a peer-review process and allows projects to proceed even without Indigenous consent.

Questions about the collection of information can be directed to the Manager of Corporate Web, Government Digital Experience Division. “B.C. Yes, they do speak from both sides of their mouths. “They are using language like recognizing the inherent jurisdiction of Indigenous Nations, which is big – I’ve never seen that before in legislation.”. has declared a state of emergency. “One of the main reasons for reforming EA in the first place is rebuilding public trust,” Smith said. “First Nations are not just there to kill projects. If you’re already a subscriber, please consider gifting a subscription, just in time for the holiday season.

As a society, we’ve got a long way to go, both when it comes to the rights of Indigenous people and in protecting the environment and climate change. We just want the projects to be the right ones and not just anything goes.”.

should not get the final say,” Bruce said.

From all accounts, this new act makes significant progress, but still leaves room for improvement, which gives us something to aim for. Recommendations to inform Provincial decision-makers are also prepared. Enter your email address if you would like a reply: The information on this form is collected under the authority of Sections 26(c) and 27(1)(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to help us assess and respond to your enquiry.

has declared a state of emergency. Bruce thinks that process is a big part of why the province looked at First Nations-led assessment. The cooperation options include: The Federal Minister has approved seventeen environmental assessments to be conducted as substituted assessments: *Don't provide personal information . Effects Assessment, Recommendation and Decision. The fees provide partial recovery of the costs incurred by the Environmental Assessment Office in delivering high-quality and timely environmental assessments. Some projects may have also transferred in from the 2002 Act. “I think they did an admirable job of building that in to this legislation,” Bruce said in an interview. Environmental Assessment Office. B.C.’s proposed new Environmental Assessment Act is a massive improvement over what’s in place now, but experts say it doesn’t go far enough to protect the environment or ensure Indigenous consent. This regulation is also related to the Minister's authority to terminate a project from the environmental assessment process if it would have extraordinarily adverse effects on a listed protected area. So, we really hope that we see a strong law go through the B.C. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (formerly the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency) is the federal counterpart to British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office (EAO).