Ministerial Order to Support New Impact Assessment System – Public Comments Invited

Public Notice

July 22, 2019 — The Government of Canada is implementing new rules through the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) that protect the environment, recognize and respect Indigenous rights, and strengthen our economy.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) invites the public and Indigenous peoples to comment on a consultation paper on a Ministerial Order that will set out classes of projects on federal lands and outside Canada that will cause only insignificant adverse environmental effects.

The classes of projects being proposed to be included in the Ministerial Order are the most common, routine and straightforward projects that are likely to cause only insignificant adverse environmental effects.

The Ministerial Order would mean that an authority seeking to carry out a project that is part of one of these classes of projects on federal lands and outside Canada would not be subject to the Act's provisions. This will help to ensure efficiency in the impact assessment process.

The public and Indigenous peoples are invited to share their views on the consultation paper by August 21, 2019 by visiting www.impactassessmentregulations.ca.