2015-09-06

CVL300
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND IMPACT
ASSESSMENT
Presentation 6
History and Intent of EA in Ontario

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• Largest, most significant change to planning in
the past 50 years.
• Largest spread of a policy worldwide for
environmental protection at all levels of
government.
• A complex, dense, imprecise, and legalistic
policy and process.
• Has been altered and challenged many times.
• Different interpretation and a forum for
propaganda.
• A law “no” government really wants to enforce.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• Growing effects on most public projects and
several private sector ones.
• It is a bureaucratic process with a focus on
procedure and methods while stakeholders are
intensely interested in its outcome.
• It is one of the key tools in the process of
converting a growth economy to a sustainable
economy. EA is one of the essential forces of
sustainability.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• What is EA?
– A “one-time” investigation and assessment of the
environmental impacts, changes, and damages.
– An investigation to examine and predict.
– An assessment of changes, are changes acceptable?
• When is EA done?
- Before a project is built.
- Before significant changes are made
• Why does EA exist?
- Insufficient “end of pipe” solution in 1970’s
- Standards did not protection the environment.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• Who does the EA?
- By the proponent
• Is there a bias? (Possible)
- Rely on MOE review; EA hearing, judicial review,
government will to protect the environment.
• Why is EA relevant to you?
- you work for proponent, consultant, reviewer,
stakeholder

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• EA is a technically imperfect instrument
- Imperfect predictions
- Imperfect comprehensive assessment and evaluation
- Imperfect at resolving questions of value
- Adaptive management to address imperfections
• What do we have in EA?
- An important process for protecting the environment.
- In some cases, poor tools to accomplish the task
- Major decisions in Ontario (OWMC, OH, IWA, new EA)
- Substantial loss at federal level (tar sands, Rafferty
Alameda dams, etc.)

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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)

• Studying EA requires real critical thought.
• Kearl mine, oil sands project in Alberta
Court pointed out the importance of greenhouse gas
emissions due to the project.