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

International Association for Impact Assessment Overview of Proposed Canadian Impact Assessment Act Presenter: Christine Loth-Bown Moderator: Bridget John (bridget@iaia.org)

IAIA Webinar Series 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… Visit http://www.iaia.org/webinars.php 2

Housekeeping Recording?  Questions?  Slides available?  3

Overview of Proposed Canadian Impact Assessment Act Christine Loth-Bown

New Impact Assessment System • Context • Overview • Current system to proposed system • Project List • Participation in the Parliamentary Process 5

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 6

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 7

IA Process 8

Early Engagement FRO M T O • No ma nda to ry A ne w ma nda to ry e a rly pla nning a nd e ng a g e me nt e a rly pla nning pha se a nd • Wo uld b e g in whe n the pro po ne nt pro vide s a n initia l e ng a g e me nt de sc riptio n o f a pro po se d pro je c t pha se • 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) 9

Broadened scope of assessment FRO M T O • E nviro nme nta l A mo ve to impa c t a sse ssme nt b a se d o n the princ iple a sse ssme nts o 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 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 c o nside r I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e a nd tra ditio na l kno wle dg e c o mmunity kno wle dg e , a nd g e nde r-b a se d a na lysis in a nd c o mmunity o rde r to suppo rt ho listic a nd inte g ra te d de c isio n- kno wle dg e no t ma king . ma nda to ry 10

Regulatory Certainty FRO M T O • T hre e re spo nsib le A sing le Ag e nc y to c o nduc t a sse ssme nts a nd c o o rdina te a utho ritie s 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 o utse t wo uld fa c ilita te ha rmo nize d pro c e sse s • Ge ne ric re vie w K e y issue s to b e ra ise d in e a rly pla nning pro c e ss, g uide line s 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 11

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples FRO M T O • I ndig e no us Aiming to se c ure c o nse nt thro ug h pro c e sse s b a se d o n pa rtic ipa tio n in re c o g nitio n o f rig hts re vie ws drive n b y the • 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 duty to c o nsult 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 E xpa nde d de finitio n o f jurisdic tio n e na b le s o ppo rtunitie s c o o pe ra tio n with fo r I ndig e no us g o ve rnme nts to e xe rc ise po we rs a nd I ndig e no us dutie s unde r the Ac t, inc luding sub stitutio n g o ve rnme nts • 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 Re q uire me nt to a ddre ss impa c ts o n I ndig e no us rig hts in c o nside ra tio n o f de c isio n-ma king : • Ministe r’ s po we r to de sig na te pro je c ts I ndig e no us rig hts in E A • Ag e nc y’ s de c isio n whe the r to re q uire a n a sse ssme nt pro c e ss • 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 12

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples FRO M T O • Pa rtic ipa nt funding I nc re a se d suppo rt fo r I ndig e no us pa rtic ipa tio n a nd a va ila b le fo r pro je c t c a pa c ity de ve lo pme nt c o nsulta tio ns • 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 Ma nda to ry c o nside ra tio n a nd pro te c tio n o f I ndig e no us kno wle dg e o ptio na l, tra ditio na l kno wle dg e , if pro vide d, a lo ng side o the r limite d pro te c tio ns 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 Co -de ve lo pme nt o f po lic ie s o f inte re st to I ndig e no us o n po lic ie s a nd pe o ple s, e .g . tra ditio na l kno wle dg e , I ndig e no us g uide line s 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 o 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 13

Public Participation FRO M T O • Pa rtic ipa tio n in All Ca na dia ns wo uld b e a b le to pa rtic ipa te in re vie w pa ne ls impa c t a sse ssme nts limite d to inte re ste d • Pub lic pa rtic ipa tio n o ppo rtunitie s pro vide d during pa rtie s e a rly pla nning a nd impa c t a sse ssme nt pro c e ss • L imite d po sting E nha nc e d Re g istry to pro vide g re a te r a c c e ss to re q uire me nts o n info rma tio n Re g istry • Pa rtic ipa nt F unding Pa rtic ipa nt F unding Pro g ra m wo uld b e e xpa nde d Pro g ra m a va ila b le 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 14

Science and Transparency FRO M T O • No a dviso ry E sta b lishme nt o f a n E xpe rt Adviso ry Co mmitte e o n Sc ie nc e c o mmitte e re q uire d a nd K no wle dg e • L imite d use r-frie ndly Pla in la ng ua g e summa rie s to inc re a se a c c e ssib ility to info rma tio n po ste d c o mple x sc ie ntific a nd te c hnic a l info rma tio n o n Re g istry • Re q uire me nts to po st ra tio na le fo r de c isio ns • Ava ila b ility, 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 c c e ssib ility a nd a nd I ndig e no us tra ditio na l kno wle dg e inte g ra tio n o f • An o pe n sc ie nc e a nd da ta pla tfo rm to pro vide a c c e ss to sc ie nc e a nd info rma tio n re la te d to c umula tive impa c ts, impa c t kno wle dg e va rie s 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 15