N.B., Ottawa agree to streamline environmental assessments for major projects
CBC
The federal and New Brunswick provincial governments have signed an agreement to better co-ordinate their environmental impact assessments.
“This is going to give major project proponents the clear direction they need and remove duplication without weakening the strength or integrity of our environmental impact process,” New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said at the announcement on Tuesday.
She said the province is committed to protecting its “beautiful landscapes,” and the provincial environmental impact assessment process is "rigorous and well-established.”
“We're pleased that the federal government has recognized the robustness of our province and has joined with us to make sure that we've reduced this duplication and redundancy to ensure a co-ordinated process,” she said.
The process will be done through an expert review panel combining local, provincial and federal agencies, Holt said, describing it as a one project, one review approach.
First Nations will be involved in the process, she added.
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal internal trade minister and an MP from New Brunswick, said that New Brunswick is the first province to sign such an agreement since the federal government launched negotiations in the summer.
“Global trade is evolving and Canada is taking decisive action to not only respond to the hinge moment in which we find ourselves, but to strengthen Canada's economy in every part of the country as well,” LeBlanc said.
“As of today, when a major project in New Brunswick requires a federal and provincial assessment, there will be no more duplication between processes.”
New Brunswick Environment Minister Gilles LePage said the agreement will provide more clarity to proponents during the envirionmental assessment process.
“By working together, sharing our knowledge, resources and responsibilities, trusting each other, lasting change is created that benefits everyone,” LePage said.
When asked by reporters about concerns there will be less scrutiny of projects now, Holt said they would still have “many, many eyes” on them and be subject to the same levels of stringency during the new review process as they were before.
“The same number of eyes, to go back to your analogy, can look at a particular review at the same time," LeBLanc said. "It doesn't have to be sequential."
Holt said the announcement has no impact on the Sisson Mine project northwest of Fredericton because it has already been approved and has conditions it has to meet for the completed environmental impact assessment.
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