Project automatically subject to a federal assessment and review on Inuit or Naskapi territory

A project under federal jurisdiction is automatically subject to a federal assessment and review process if it is mentioned in Annex 1 of Section 23 (Future developments automatically subject to environmental impact assessment) of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

Annex 1 of Section 23 (Future developments automatically subject to environmental impact assessment)

• All mining developments. However, air and ground reconnaissance, survey, mapping and core sampling by drilling shall be permitted without the preparation of impact statements.
• Any significant additions, alterations or modifications to existing mining developments.
• Siting and operation of major sand and gravel pits and quarries.
• Energy Production:
  • Hydro-electric power plants and nuclear installations and their associated works;
  • Storage and water supply reservoirs;
  • Transmission lines of 75 KV and over;
  • Extraction and processing of energy yielding materials;
  • Fossil fuel fired power generating plants above three thousand (3,000) Kilowatts.
• Forestry:
  • Major access roads built for extraction of forest products;
  • Wood, pulp and paper mills or other forestry plants;
  • In general, any significant change in land use substantially affecting more than 25 square miles.
• Community and municipal services:
  • new significant sewage and waste water collection and disposal systems;
  • solid waste collection and disposal, including land fill and incineration;
  • proposals for parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves or other similar land classifications;
  • new outfitting facilities for more than thirty (30) persons, including networks of outpost camps;
  • new towns, communities or municipalities or significant expansion thereof;
• Transportation:
  • access roads to and near communities;
  • port and harbour facilities;
  • airports;
  • railroads;
  • road infrastructure for new development;
  • pipelines;
  • dredging operations for navigation improvements

Federal assessment and review process

Assessment process

1. The proponent must submit preliminary information on its project to the Federal Administrator, as specified in the Guide for proponents (Section 23).

2. The Federal Administrator submits the preliminary information to the Federal Review Panel North (FRP-North, commonly referred to as COFEX-North).

3. After analysis, COFEX-North prepares a directive on the scope of the impact assessment. It may request additional information from the proponent, as needed. Public consultations may happen at this point.

4. The Federal Administrator forwards the directive to the proponent.

Review process

5. The proponent prepares its impact statement report in accordance with the directive.

6. The proponent submits its impact statement report to the Federal Administrator.

7. The Federal Administrator forwards the impact statement report to COFEX-North and specifies the mandate they entrust in it. COFEX-North then sends a copy to the Kativik Regional Government.

8. COFEX-North verifies the compliance of the impact statement report with the directive. It may request additional information from the proponent, as needed. Public consultations may happen at this point. COFEX-North reviews the report, the public consultations and any other relevant documents. Finally, it recommends whether or not the Federal Administrator should authorize the project and on what conditions.

9. Based on the recommendations, the Federal Administrator decides whether or not to authorize the project and determines the conditions, including the environmental and social monitoring and follow-up measures.

10. The Federal Administrator informs the proponent of the decision. If the project is authorized, the proponent must comply with the conditions, including the monitoring and follow-up measures. If the project is refused, the proponent must not go ahead with its project.