Technical considerations and references for Tailored Information and Studies Guidelines

July 2026 (interim version)

To prepare their Impact Statement, proponents must follow the requirements outlined in the project-specific Tailored Information and Studies Guidelines (TISG) issued by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC). This document provides technical considerations, as well as references to additional resources, to support proponents in the preparation of an Impact Statement. The TISG were formerly called the Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines.

On this page

• Technical considerations
  • Project components & activities
  • Project alternatives
  • Spatial and temporal boundaries
  • Baseline conditions
  • Mitigation measures
  • Effects assessment
• References to additional resources
  • Birds
  • Environmental obligations and climate change commitments
  • Fish, fish habitat and marine plants
  • Gender-based Analysis Plus
  • Human health
  • Indigenous participation and engagement
  • Species at risk
  • Other

IAAC’s guidance on the practice of the Impact Assessment Act and its regulations is being updated, and the current versions of the guidance, referred to in this document, may not reflect IAAC’s current practices. Proponents remain responsible for following applicable legislation and regulations. Proponents are encouraged to engage with IAAC regarding the applicability of the guidance. For more information, please contact project-projet@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.

At the time of publishing, potential changes to the Impact Assessment Act are proposed by the Government of Canada in the Getting Major Project Built discussion paper, including a potential change to the lead for the impact assessment of projects that are regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Should such a change be made, this document will be updated.

Technical considerations

This document provides technical considerations to support proponents in the preparation of Impact Statements. Proponents may refer to relevant sections where and as applicable.

Project components & activities

The following non-exhaustive list of potential project components and activities may be relevant to the assessment of adverse federal effects:

Project components

Generic project components

• water management infrastructure to divert, control, collect and discharge surface drainage and groundwater discharges to the receiving environment, including collector ditches, groundwater interception wells, sedimentation ponds, sumps, water control structures, and pump and pipeline systems;
• treatment facilities for potable water, sewage, wastewater and effluent (including proposed treatment technologies, design capacity, treatment efficiency and expected performance, footprint, location, discharge locations);
• material stockpiles including hazardous waste and fuel storage tanks;
• explosives manufacturing and storage facilities (method, location, licensing, management);
• waterbody diversions or realignments;
• crossings of waterbodies and watercourses, including bridges and culverts;
• infrastructure to accommodate fish passage (e.g. fish ladders), or to offset fish habitat loss;
• construction workspace and laydown areas;
• temporary or permanent infrastructure, including administration buildings, ports, warehouses, garages, maintenance offices;
• permanent and temporary linear infrastructure such as roads, routes, railroads, pipelines, power lines and conduits;
• lighting structures, including both fixed lighting and mobile units;
• sources of drinking and industrial water;
• energy supply sources;
• compression and pumping stations;
• waste disposal (types of waste, methods of disposal, quantity, disposal sites or facilities);
• temporary or permanent worker accommodations;
• borrow pits and quarries;
• fences and barriers;
• temporary or permanent structures required for construction or operation;

Liquefied natural gas facilities

• liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities up to the connection point with the natural gas carrier pipe, including natural gas receiving and processing equipment, liquefaction circuits, LNG and coolant storage tanks, flare stacks, generators, gas delivery pipelines and fume return lines and emergency and leak detection systems;
• natural gas transshipment, storage and handling areas, including service and secondary electrical-power infrastructure and working surfaces;
• petroleum products storage tanks intended for the operation of machinery, compressors, generators, trucks, locomotives, ships or other;
• fire water system;

Mining

• mine waste management facility (footprint, location and preliminary design) and related pipelines (including those for tailings and return water);
• storage of waste rock, overburden, topsoil, ore and low grade ore storage, lake sediment, and stockpiles (footprint, locations, volumes, development and management plans and design criteria);
• open pit, including borrow pits, and/or underground mine (footprint, location, development plans including pit phases), surface portals, declines, underground workings, ventilation system, zone of subsidence, backfill paste plant;
• crusher and processing facilities (footprint, process, technology, location);
• storage and load out facilities for concentrate and or finished product;
• fueling stations for trucks/vehicles;
• aggregate deposits and aggregate plant (footprint, location, volumes);
• collector and diversion ditches, dams, culverts, bridges, spillways and water storage facilities including sediment ponds and seepage collection ponds (conceptual design features);

Hydroelectric power generation

• dam structures (i.e. rockfill or concrete);
• reservoir, including the area to be flooded (e.g. existing vegetation, contaminated sites);
• powerhouse containing generating units/turbines;
• spillway structures;
• water intake structures, including temporary and permanent tunnels;

Nuclear facilities

• nuclear generating stations;
• water cooling systems for nuclear reactors, including intake and discharge structures;
• nuclear waste transfer and storage;
• waste management and storage facilities for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste and used fuel;

Marine

• breakwaters and erosion protection structures;
• floating or bottom-fixed drilling installations and/or production platforms;
• work over and intervention vessels;
• subsea installations, including subsea templates, production wells and gathering flow lines;
• offshore infrastructures, including wind turbines and tidal power plant;
• marine transportation and navigation activities (size, type of product transport, supply vessels, maneuvering areas, approach channel, anchorage areas, noise);
• port or marine infrastructures and facilities, including jetty, platform, berthing wharf, as well as mooring systems, berthing dolphins and interconnected walkways (area, size, location, orientation);

Project activities

Site preparation and construction

• construction staging;
• surveying and staking;
• site grubbing, clearing and excavation, including tree and vegetation removal, and salvage of topsoil, soil and bedrock, and rocky substrates, including potentially acid-generating and metal-leaching materials (duration, time of year);
• management of all excavated materials, including borrow materials that are potentially metal leaching and/or potentially acid rock drainage;
• blasting (frequency, duration, time of year, time of day and methods);
• explosives manufacture, transportation, storage and management;
• construction of access roads;
• clearing of transmission corridor and construction of powerline to site;
• construction of site fencing;
• changes to existing infrastructure (e.g. relocation of pipelines);
• transportation and management of borrow materials requirement (source and quantity);
• storage areas for material stockpiles;
• storm water management, site drainage, runoff management and sediment or erosion control;
• water management to divert, control, collect, deposit and discharge surface drainage and groundwater seepage to the receiving environment, including collector ditches, groundwater interception wells, sedimentation ponds, sumps, and pump and pipeline systems;
• construction of water management facilities to manage water that comes into contact with oil sands or plant processes, including collector ditches, sumps, pump and pipeline systems, and groundwater interception wells;
• water requirements for project construction, operation, decommissioning and closure, including estimate of quantities needed;
• management and treatment of wastewater and discharge points;
• construction of mine waste management facility and tailings storage facility;
• water for pressure testing;
• operation of light duty, heavy-duty and mobile off-road equipment (type, quantity);
• construction of temporary or permanent infrastructure;
• establishment of worker accommodations (capacity, wastewater treatment);
• transportation of employees;
• storage, disposal and management of hazardous materials, fuels and waste (types, methods, amounts);
• capital and maintenance dredging;
• open-water disposal, terrestrial disposal or dewatering of dredged sediments or materials;
• offshore construction, installation, hook-up and commissioning including preparation for establishing locations of drilling templates and subsea infrastructure and the construction, installation and hook-up of subsea infrastructure;
• subsea infrastructure protection measures (e.g. rock dumping over flowlines, installation of subsea wellhead protection equipment, trenching of flowlines or concrete mattresses installation);
• offshore development drilling;
• installation of production platforms and mooring systems;

Operation

• product production and stockpiling, product extraction, processing and treatment;
• drilling and blasting;
• manufacture, storage and use of explosives;
• seismic and vertical seismic profiling;
• nuclear waste transfer and storage;
• storage, handling and transport of materials, including reagents, petroleum products, chemical products, hazardous materials and residual materials;
• use and maintenance of access roads;
• water management, including water diversions, site drainage and runoff management, sediment and erosion controls, site dewatering, potable water, water use requirements, storm water, process water, wastewater, water recycling and effluent discharge and treatment (type of effluent, method of discharge, quantity, treatment requirements, settling ponds, release point(s), receiving waterbodies);
• waste management, disposal and recycling onshore and offshore, including mine waste management of tailings, waste rock, ore, overburden and topsoil;
• vegetation management;
• workforce management, including transportation, work schedules and lodging;
• dredging and maintenance dredging;
• marine activities, including navigation for product transport or support vessels, at-sea transfers of bulk materials, and ocean disposal (methods and locations);
• offshore exploration drilling;
• offshore production and transport;

Suspension, abandonment or decommissioning

• suspension, abandonment, decommissioning or reclamation for temporary and permanent project components, including as related to ownership, transfer and control;
• site restoration and long-term care, including monitoring and maintenance, related site drainage, waste management and water management, and any remaining structures;
• removal of surface contamination from facilities and equipment;
• well decommissioning;
• leave of subsea pipelines;
• dismantling removal, and demolition of equipment, systems, buildings, and ancillary structures; and
• transfer of fuel and associated wastes to interim and long-term licenced storage facilities (including nuclear facilities).

Project alternatives

The following considerations may be relevant to the assessment of alternatives to the project and of alternative means of carrying out the project:

• proponents are not expected to consider every plausible alternatives and alternative means option. The range of options considered varies by project type, and there may be no alternate options. Public sector proponents’ mandates may enable them to explore a broader range of options than private proponents. As the project design and impact assessment process advance, proponents can reconsider options and their feasibility based on the information and knowledge it continues to receive;
• meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples, the public, and other participants on project alternatives early in the project design, before major commitments and investments to a particular project design are made, help optimize a project and proactively find solutions to issues raised;
• clear criteria on economic and technical feasibility that are relevant to the project or to the project component under consideration allow proponents to document their rationale on which options are considered and which are not feasible;
• the extent to which alternatives are analyzed is case specific, with more details warranted where the differences among alternatives and their effects are unclear (e.g., one alternative does not clearly outperform the others) or when there is substantial interest or concerns from participants;
• options can be described and presented in table(s) comparing their advantages and disadvantages; and
• strong assessments of alternatives are transparent, inclusive, and support sustainability by demonstrating how feedback, including Indigenous and community preferences, influenced the project and its design with clear rationale for the selection option(s) and for why alternatives or alternative means were not adopted.

Spatial and temporal boundaries

The following elements may be relevant to the establishment of spatial and temporal boundaries in order to assess the adverse federal effects:

• for spatial boundaries:
  • areas impacted by changes to water quality and quantity or changes in flow in the watershed and hydrologically connected waters,
  • areas impacted by airborne emissions or odours,
  • air zone(s) and airsheds under the Air Quality Management System,
  • local major emission sources,
  • for air quality, modelling domain size based on isopleths from the project-only scenario, extending the domain until the project’s predicted concentrations reach 10% of the applicable jurisdictional air quality standard, while staying within the model’s valid range,
  • international and provincial or territorial borders which require transboundary assessment,
  • areas within the range of vision, light and sound, or impacted by noise on land or in waters;
  • areas of importance to people including recreational areas,
  • locations and characteristics of sensitive receptors, such as:
    • diverse population groups that may be differentially impacted (e.g. individuals with compromised health, children, pregnant women, seniors),
    • residences, health and social services institutions (e.g. hospitals, long-term care facilities, seniors’ residences),
    • educational institutions (e.g. schools, daycare centres, early childhood centres),
    • tourism establishments (e.g. tourism information offices, museums, ski areas, summer camps, outdoor recreation areas, camp sites),
    • recreational areas (e.g. recreational land, urban parks, parks and conservation areas),
    • areas for the exercise of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and
    • sensitive wildlife species or habitats (e.g. soil types or areas with historical loading or poor buffering, important areas of wildlife use, harvesting activities),
  • species habitat areas, usage timing and migratory patterns,
  • emergency planning and emergency response zones,
  • the geographic extent of local and regional services,
  • affected Indigenous groups,
  • affected communities,
  • areas of known Indigenous land, including reserve lands, traditional territories and/or treaty lands, cultural, spiritual and resource use,
  • affected infrastructure, and
  • to determine appropriate ecological boundaries and buffer distances around the project area, a land cover analysis, including freshwater and marine environments, may be appropriate. The spatial extent of habitat and habitat functions may influence the determination of an appropriate Local Study Area (LSA) and Regional Study Area (RSA). To ensure that the LSA includes the areas where project effects may extend, simulation modelling may help define buffers that address the species or species group being assessed. To verify appropriate boundaries for wildlife species, the proponent may contact federal, provincial and/or local government authorities; and
• for temporal boundaries:
  • predicted effects for each period of construction, operations, and after project decommissioning or abandonment,
  • detection of species throughout the year and from one year to another,
  • temporal pattern of use (e.g. breeding, migrants stopping on northward and/or southward migration), and
  • variation due to irregular events (e.g. masting events, storms on migration, late snowfalls).

Baseline conditions

The following is a non-exhaustive list of information sources that may be relevant in establishing baseline conditions for the effects assessment:

• Government of Canada’s Open Government Portal and Open Science and Data Platform. These online public platforms provide access to government sources of science, data, publications and information about development activities across the country that are relevant to understanding cumulative effects. The platform can help identify relevant data and scientific articles in one online location, and be a source of open data available for download;
• geospatial sources of data and information integrated into the IAAC Interactive Assessment Map;
• database, including federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and local data banks, such as:
  • Aquatic species at risk map,
  • eBird Canada,
  • Canada Marine Planning Atlas,
  • Christmas bird count,
  • Community Wellbeing Index,
  • Critical Habitat for Species at Risk National Dataset,
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility,
  • First Nation Profiles,
  • Nature Counts,
  • Neighbourhood Bat Watch,
  • Wildtrax, and
  • Bird Conservation Regions and strategies;
• land cover data, such as forest cover maps, or remote sensing data habitats;
• research programs of regional industry, resource or species-specific committees;
• protected areas including those in the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database, watershed or coastal management plans;
• natural resource management plans;
• species recovery and restoration plans, including critical habitat mapping, and other species at risk guidance documents, databases, and mapping information;
• field measurements and/or studies on ambient or background levels for air, water, soil and sediment quality, light levels or acoustic environment;
• published literature;
• regional studies or assessments, strategic assessments and project assessments, including monitoring reports, from prior projects in the area and similar projects outside the area;
• Indigenous Knowledge and community knowledge, including oral histories;
• information from expert, community, public and Indigenous engagement and consultation activities, including workshops, meetings, open houses, surveys, interviews, focus groups;
• census data and statistical surveys;
• human health impact assessments or risk assessments; and
• information available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information under Community and Health System Characteristics.

To determine whether additional data sources and survey methods may be appropriate, federal, provincial or local government authorities can be contacted.

Mitigation measures

The following considerations may be relevant to the mitigation of adverse federal effects:

The mitigation hierarchy is a best practice framework presenting a descending order of priority for mitigation measures where effects or impacts should first be avoided, then minimized if not avoidable, and, as a last resort, offset. The Impact Assessment Act refers to mitigation measures to eliminate, reduce, control or offset – including through replacement, restoration, compensation or any other means – adverse federal effects:

• Eliminate (avoid): refers to measures that avoid adverse federal effects through the location, timing or design of project components or activities. Proponents can demonstrate how they have considered and applied avoidance measures to eliminate adverse federal effects before considering other forms of mitigation measures;
• Reduce and control (minimize): refers to measures that reduce adverse federal effects through, for example, design features or deterrence or protection elements, or control effects, for example, through exclusion zones, fencing, containment, suppression or management systems to limit the geographic extent or duration of an effect. Where an adverse federal effect has not been avoided, measures to reduce or control the effect can be considered in terms of relevant criteria such as magnitude, geographic extent, timing or duration, and be integrated through relevant environmental management plans, monitoring programs, etc.; and
• Offset refers to measures that offset adverse federal effects by providing equivalent or greater benefits to the Valued Components in another location or context, for example, through the restoration of degraded habitat or through the creation of new habitat (replacement). Offset mitigation measures can be referred to as replacement, restoration, remediation or compensation. Where an adverse federal effects has not been avoided, reduced or controlled, relevant compensation or offset plans can be considered in light of:
  • rationale for the compensation ratio, including how any policies or guidance provided by federal and provincial authorities and Indigenous Peoples have been considered;
  • location and timing of implementation of compensation projects, including the selection process for the proposed compensation sites and associated baseline conditions;
  • success criteria informed by the scientific literature, relevant guidance, standards or best management practice and/or consultations with provincial or federal experts, as well as how they will be achieved;
  • non-habitat related compensation measures (e.g. predator control);
  • how the proposed measures align with published provincial and federal recovery management or action plans and strategies for species at risk, or for fish and fish habitat;
  • person or parties responsible for the implementation of the compensatory measures, including monitoring and review;
  • evidence that habitat functions can be replaced and how long it will take for them to be replaced by the proposed offset activities with the objective of minimizing the delay between the time the adverse federal effects occur and the time habitat functions are restored;
  • monitoring schedule and activities to be completed to verify the success of compensation activities;
  • with respect to fish and fish habitat offsetting plans, offsetting plan requirements for Fisheries Act authorizations are set out in Schedule 1 of the Applications for Authorization under Paragraph 35(2)(b) of the Fisheries Act Regulations and proponents can refer to Project planning: What is offsetting and how to prepare an offsetting plan;
  • with respect to wetlands compensation plans:
    • how the proposed measures align with published provincial and federal recovery management or action plans and strategies for wetlands,
    • preference for the restoration of drained or altered natural wetlands of the same type and function as those affected by the project. Wetland restoration is preferable to wetland enhancement, both of which are preferable to the creation of new wetlands,
    • whether it is possible to compensate for the loss of functions in cases where wetlands are unique, perform habitat functions that ensure the survival of a large proportion of migratory birds, or provide habitat for species at risk,
    • the choice of ratio for the area of wetlands to be restored or created, versus the original area of wetlands affected, is case-specific based on risk, as assessed by relevant factors (e.g. impact type [loss, alteration, degradation, fragmentation]; severity [scope, magnitude, and duration/reversibility]; impact site and offsite site characteristics [e.g. ecological quality, wetland function, rarity]; delivery risk associated with a proposed offsetting action [action effectiveness, time lag, duration, protection, risk of failure]; existing regional or policy offset ratios; uncertainties/risk) and in consultation with relevant authorities,
    • compensation for lost wetland functions on-site if site conditions are suitable, and, if not, preference to compensate within the same watershed, and then within the same ecosystem as the one where functions are affected, and
    • how vegetation removals, as well as soil and peat excavation activities, will be managed for reclamation of disturbed wetlands (e.g. methods, conditions and timing of stockpiling).

Effects assessment

The following technical guidance is a non-exhaustive list of considerations that may be relevant to the assessment of Valued Components identified in the project-specific TISG:

• complementing existing data with data collected in the field to represent relevant temporal variability (e.g. across temporal scales, within and among seasons, and within 24-hour daily cycle);
• planning survey options and sampling requirements through modelling and simulations and selecting sample sites using stratified random sampling of habitat;
• increasing survey effort (number and duration of surveys) for rare species;
• designing surveys to represent the heterogeneity of RSA habitat as well as the number of sites by land cover or by habitat class, so that aggregation of post hoc habitat classes is not necessary;
• designing sampling effort so that the level of effort per unit area is most intensive within the project study area and allowing defensible comparison of estimates between the project area, LSA, and RSA;
• using simulation modelling to assess uncertainty and bias, and ensuring the estimates between the project area, LSA, and RSA can be compared;
• including several sampling stations and several visits to each station with qualified experts conducting the inventories and analyses;
• using complete relational databases, with georeferenced site information, observation/visit information and raw observations or measurements for data sets from all survey sites;
• documenting all files and results of analyses to allow for a clear understanding of the methods and a replication of the results (raw scripts or workflows); and
• contacting relevant provincial or local government authorities for additional data sources and survey methods;

Atmospheric, acoustic and visual environment

• project sources of air pollutant emissions may include the following types of sources:
  • point sources: power generation equipment (i.e. gensets), turbines, compressor engines, incinerators, exhaust vents and stacks from processing facilities, ventilation vents, boilers and heating equipment, flares, fugitive emissions from storage tanks and start-up and shut-down emissions,
  • area sources: drilling and blasting, material handling and transport, wind erosion of waste rock piles and stockpiles, fugitive emissions from exposed mine faces, fugitive emissions from process areas and tailings management areas, and dust emissions from paved and nonpaved roads,
  • mobile/road sources: tailpipe emissions and fugitive dust emissions from on-road and off-road vehicles, and
  • transport sources: emissions from idling trains, marine vessels and tugs, and rail transport;
• if long-term monitoring data are not available, consider and justify the use of other techniques such as:
  • limited or short-term monitoring,
  • data from a surrogate site that has similar meteorological and air quality,
  • results of existing large-scale modelling, and
  • dispersion modelling to indicate the spatial distribution of contaminants and/or acoustics in water;
• with respect to atmospheric dispersion modelling, consider:
  • the most recent meteorological and emissions data available for an appropriate time period to account for variability in meteorology and baseline conditions,
  • relevant temporal scenarios. For the construction phase, select the conditions that maximize the impact on air quality. For the operation phase, select a year that maximizes the impact on air quality,
  • modeling of fugitive emissions with and without mitigation measures to assess the impact of these measures on air quality and particulate matter deposition at sensitive receptors, particularly for particulate matter emissions from unpaved roads, and using various mitigation control efficiency scenarios such as 0% (no mitigation or worst-case scenario), 50%, and 70%,
  • non-threshold air pollutants (e.g. PM_2.5 and NO₂), air quality criteria and guidelines must not be used as ’pollute-up-to levels’, since any increase in exposure will result in an incremental population risk. When pollutant levels approach or exceed applicable Canadian or provincial standards, the proponent is encouraged to compare against solely health-based guidelines (e.g. World Health Organization Global Air Quality Guidelines),
  • appropriate domain boundaries (enclosing concentrations that are 10% of relevant air quality criteria, at minimum), and
  • air quality model appropriate for the complexity of the terrain, sources and meteorology;
• to inform the choice of program to conduct regional air quality modelling of acidifying deposition rates, Environment and Climate Change Canada can be consulted;

Birds

• with respect to the establishment of baseline conditions for birds, consider:
  • the availability of various habitat types and areas, and of edges between habitat types, such as:
    • mixed wood forest, old-growth forest or other upland vegetation types of importance for forest-associated bird species,
    • riparian corridors,
    • wetlands,
    • highly productive areas including estuaries and eelgrass beds, spawning shorelines and rivers, upwelling areas, colonial breeding sites, and islands or islets, and
    • environmentally significant areas such as National Parks, National Wildlife Areas, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries or other provincial, territorial, Indigenous or Environmental Non-Governmental Organization areas or sanctuaries for birds, important bird areas, offshore Marine Protected Areas, and Ecologically and Biologically Significant Marine Area,
  • where modelling is used to delineate and quantify habitat types, representation for relevant sources of variation such as spatial variation in land cover composition, soil type, geomorphology, hydrological processes, elevation as well as inter-annual and intra-annual climate variability,
  • designing bird surveys to complement existing data and based on the available scientific evidence pertinent to the specific region, elevation, bird groups and anticipated effects to produce scientifically defensible predictions of effects and estimates of the effectiveness of mitigation measures in light of relevant:
    • regulatory guidelines and standards,
    • spatially balanced sampling sites that can be informed by modelling (e.g. using stratified random sampling that covers all habitat types),
    • spatial and temporal representation, including to capture key life cycle stages (breeding, migration, overwintering),
    • sampling effort reflecting variability among habitat types in the project, local and regional study areas, with more intensive sampling effort:
      • in the project area,
      • in areas and habitats more likely to be affected by the project,
      • for hard to detect species,
      • for species at risk,
      • where there are gaps in existing baseline data,
      • in protected, rare or sensitive habitats, and
  • for surveys during migration or in the non-breeding season, designing bird surveys (e.g. scale, frequency) based on the species, how the project area is used (e.g. during breeding, migration and wintering), as well as the ecology of the species (e.g. colonial or irruptive species);
• consider the following effect pathways to birds:
  • vegetation removal or alteration, particularly of habitats important for nesting, foraging, staging, overwintering, rearing and moulting or that act as movement corridors,
  • deposition of harmful substances and changes to water quality in waters frequented by birds,
  • structures that could result in bird collisions, including lighted towers, guy wires, power lines, glass and other transparent structures,
  • structures or activities that could attract birds to nest or roost in, increasing risk of mortality,
  • changes to the aquatic flow regime and sediment load,
  • construction and operation of tailings disposal facilities (i.e. tailings ponds), wastewater ponds or other ponds containing process liquids or substances harmful to birds,
  • changes to the atmospheric, acoustic and visual environment (e.g. noise, vibration, lighting, air emissions and dust),
  • flaring of gas, and
  • any project activities that may occur during critical periods and/or restricted activity periods for birds, including species at risk;
• with respect to effects to birds, consider:
  • changes resulting from the predicted short-term and long-term changes to habitats (in terms of quality, quantity, availability, distribution and function), including habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, structural change or habitat avoidance,
  • any assumptions regarding relocation or temporary displacement during construction and operation of the project when the reference data provide evidence that there is a significant number of equivalent habitats available to birds and that the vegetation removed is not unique to the project area as justified by scientific evidence or through study and monitoring within the project area,
  • the absolute and relative (as a percentage of the total local and regional habitat available) amount of habitat lost,
  • changes to bird-habitat relationships, abundance, and density of the avian community that utilise the various habitat types or ecosystems,
  • changes in food sources in terms of types, quality, quantity, availability, distribution and function, including short-term and long-term changes,
  • changes to mortality risk, including from collision of birds with project infrastructure, glass on buildings and other transparent structures, flaring gas, overhead lines, vessels and vehicles, from light attraction and from indirect effects, such as increased movement of predators or access to hunting,
  • increased disturbance (e.g. sound, artificial light, presence of workers) considering the critical periods for the birds, including breeding, migration and overwintering, and
  • changes to contaminants and bioaccumulation of contaminants;

Fish and fish habitat

• with respect to the establishment of baseline conditions for fish and fish habitat, consider:
  • that requirements for a detailed description of fish and fish habitat for Fisheries Act authorizations are set out in Schedule 1 of the Applications for Authorization under Paragraph 35(2)(b) of the Fisheries Act Regulations and the proponent can refer to Project planning: Applying for a Fisheries Act authorization,
  • that certain intermittent and ephemeral watercourses or waterbodies may constitute or contribute to fish habitat. Furthermore, the absence of fish or water at the time of a survey does not irrefutably indicate an absence of fish and/or fish habitat. Similarly, beaver dams and accumulations of woody debris are not considered impassable barriers to fish,
  • that protected or sensitive habitat areas may include Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Marine Areas and any existing, designated or proposed special marine areas such as marine refuges, marine conservation areas, ecological reserves and marine protected areas that could be affected by the project,
  • measuring relevant parameters to describe waterbodies such as size, bathymetry, littoral, sublittoral, bathyal, epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic zones, maximum and average depths, seasonal water level fluctuations, substrate type (sediment), aquatic (submerged, floating and emergent) and riparian vegetation, water quality (temperature and dissolved oxygen profile, turbidity, transparency, pH, salinity and relevant project related parameters such as trace metals, metalloids, methylmercury, POPs, major and minor ions) and sediment quality (particle size, moisture content metals/metalloids, total sulphur, total organic carbon, polycyclic aromatic compounds, persistent organic pollutants), as well as surface water and groundwater interactions,
  • the use of existing information (e.g. the Fish and Wildlife Internet Mapping Tool, accessible regional reports, primary literature, fisheries management objectives, information from consultation and engagement activities, Indigenous Knowledge) to describe fish species present, supplemented by field data collection as necessary to support the assessment,
  • measuring relevant parameters to describe surface water hydrology in watercourses based on a homogenous section. Parameters can include length of the section, wetted width at the ordinary high water mark (Ordinary High Water Mark), depth, streamflow types and characteristics (depth, velocity, turbidity, peak and low flows), substrate type (shoreline and bottom), aquatic (e.g. grass flat) and riparian vegetation, natural (e.g. significant vertical drop, waterfalls, subsurface flow over large distances), and anthropogenic barriers (e.g. stream crossing structures) that impede or obstruct free passage of fish,
  • documenting obstacles (e.g. size, condition) and their passability by fish based on the Ordinary High Water Mark, which is the usual or average level to which a body of water rises at its highest point and remains for sufficient time to change the characteristics of the land. In flowing waters (e.g. rivers, streams) this refers to the “active channel/bank-full level” which is often the 1:2 year flood flow return level. In inland lakes, wetlands or marine environments it refers to those parts of the water-body bed and banks that are frequently flooded by water to leave a mark on the land and where the natural vegetation changes from predominately aquatic vegetation to terrestrial vegetation (excepting water tolerant species). For reservoirs this refers to normal high operating levels (i.e. full supply level),
  • in northern regions, permafrost conditions and taliks and their influence on groundwater–surface water interactions and surface water quality,
  • when describing baseline contaminants, project-relevant parameters in water, sediment and/or fish tissue, including carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements in fish and bioaccumulation of contaminants in fish downstream of the project; and
• with respect to the assessment of effects on fish and fish habitat, consider:
  • that requirements for a detailed description of likely effects on fish and fish habitat for Fisheries Act authorizations are set out in Schedule 1 of the Applications for Authorization under Paragraph 35(2)(b) of the Fisheries Act Regulations and the proponent can refer to Project planning: Applying for a Fisheries Act authorization,
  • standard metrics for changes in habitat quality and quantity to choose an analysis that is appropriate to the type and scale of effects (see A framework for assessing fisheries productivity for the Fisheries Protection Program and Science-Based Framework for Assessing the Response of Fisheries Productivity to State of Species or Habitats). For example, broader, ecosystem-wide effects may warrant a modelling approach. The data can be presented in a table and map at appropriate scales,
  • effects from project-related changes to water quality, sediment quality, contaminant concentrations and bioaccumulation throughout the food web, including changes to fish tissue concentrations, compared to baseline, applicable guidelines, effects thresholds and/or based on a predictive risk assessment to establish site-specific effects thresholds, and
  • that the effects of chronic and acute disturbances to fish populations are often dependent on the state of the fish population. If the fish population is already depleted, the effect of an acute disturbance may have a disproportionate effect on the population;

Wetlands

• with respect to baseline conditions for wetlands, consider:
  • a functional assessment of wetlands that the project would impact taking into account:
    • the larger watersheds context, including topography, soil types, and hydrological linkages,
    • adjacent land use with a focus on hydrological and other functions, and
    • the global significance of peatlands across the RSA;
  • species known to use wetlands as part of its lifecycle, which wetland classes are important to which species, relevant estimates such as presence, abundance, density, and distribution for species in relation to affected wetlands and associated riparian areas, meeting species- or group-specific standards and conducted during appropriate times of the year;
  • the location, the specific biological characteristics, and the ecological services and functions (e.g. hydrology, biochemical cycling, habitat, climate) each affected wetland provides, including for the methods and sampling design;
  • representation of wetlands to enable reliable extrapolations in space (i.e. to the project area, LSA and RSA) and in time (i.e. across years); and
  • contacting relevant provincial and local government authorities to determine if wetland conservation policies, regulations, or wetland compensation guidelines apply.

References to additional resources

The proponent is encouraged to refer to IAAC’s Practitioner’s Guide to Federal Impact Assessments and to keep apprised of updates. Below are additional resources that may be considered to support the preparation of an Impact Statement, as applicable.

Birds

Audubon. Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Available at Access Christmas Bird Count Results | Audubon

Birds Canada. Nesting Calendar Query Tool. Available at https://www.naturecounts.ca/apps/rnest/index.jsp?lang=EN

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Avoiding Harm to Migratory Birds. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/avoiding-harm-migratory-birds.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Bird Conservation Regions and Strategies. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/migratory-bird-conservation/regions-strategies.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Bird Surveys. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/bird-surveys.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2022. Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in the United States (U.S.) and Canada. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-countries-regions/north-america/canada-united-states-protecting-migratory-birds.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. General Nesting Periods of Migratory Birds. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/avoiding-harm-migratory-birds/general-nesting-periods.html

NAWMP Canada. 2013. North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Available at http://nawmp.wetlandnetwork.ca/what-is-nawmp/

Environmental obligations and climate change commitments

Biodivcanada. Canada’s National Biodiversity Clearing-House. Federal, Provincial and Territorial Working Group on Biodiversity. Available at https://biodivcanada.chm-cbd.net/

Convention on Biological Diversity. Impact Assessment: Voluntary Guidelines on Biodiversity-inclusive Assessment. Available at https://www.cbd.int/decision/cop?id=11042

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy and the Nature Accountability Bill. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/biodiversity/2030-nature-strategy.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2020. Strategic Assessment of Climate Change. Available at https://www.strategicassessmentclimatechange.ca

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1991. Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States on Air Quality. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-countries-regions/north-america/canada-united-states-air-quality.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1983. Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar). Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-organizations/important-wetlands-ramsar-convention.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service.1991. Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation. Available at: https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/100725/publication.html

Global Affairs Canada. 1910. Treaty Relating to the Boundary Waters and Questions Arising Along the Border between the United States and Canada. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-countries-regions/north-america/canada-united-states-boundary-waters-treaty.html

Fish, fish habitat and marine plants

Bradford, M.J., R.G. Randall, K.S. Smokorowski, B.E. Keatley and K.D. Clarke. 2014. A Framework for Assessing Fisheries Productivity for the Fisheries Protection Program. Available at https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/359758.pdf

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life. Available at https://ccme.ca/en/resources/water-aquatic-life

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2016. A Field Guide to Oil Spill Response on Marine Shorelines. Available at https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.820227/publication.html?wbdisable=true

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2016. A Field Guide to Oil Spill Response on Freshwater Shorelines. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/protecting-freshwater/field-guide-oil-spill-response-freshwater-shorelines.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Guide to the Regulatory Process for Listing Water Bodies Frequented by Fish in Schedule 2 of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-pollution/sources-industry/mining-effluent/metal-diamond-mining-effluent/tailings-impoundment-areas/guide-process-listing-water-bodies-fish-schedule-2.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Applicant’s Guide Supporting the Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Regulations. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/reviews-revues/applicants-guide-candidats-eng.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Aquatic Species at Risk Map. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/sara-lep/map-carte/index-eng.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Canada Marine Planning Atlas. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/planning-planification/atlas/index-eng.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Pathways of Effects. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/pathways-sequences/index-eng.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2013. A Science-Based Framework for Assessing the Response of Fisheries Productivity to sState of Species or Habitats. Available at https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/360944.pdf.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2019. Policy for Applying Measures to Offset Adverse Effects on Fish and Fish Habitat under the Fisheries Act. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/reviews-revues/policies-politiques-eng.html

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2025. Project Planning: Applying for a Fisheries Act Authorization. Available at: https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibliotheque/41250606.pdf

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2025. Project planning: Applying for a Fisheries Act Authorization Acting as a Species at Risk Act (SARA) Permit or a Stand-Alone SARA Permit. Available at: https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibliotheque/41250667.pdf

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2025. Project Planning: What is Offsetting and How to Prepare an Offsetting Plan. Available at: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/reviews-revues/docs/offsetting-compensation-plan-en.pdf

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Native Women’s Association of Canada. Culturally Relevant Gender-Based Analysis. Available at https://nwac.ca/academics-policy/research-and-publications/culturally-relevant-gender-based-analysis/

Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO). 2022. Report 5: Responding to the Calls for Justice: Addressing Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls in the Context of Resource Development Projects. Available at https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/FEWO/report-5/

Native Women’s Association of Canada. 2015. Resource Development Sector Barriers and Opportunities. Available at: https://nwac-afac.ca/assets-knowledge-centre/FINAL-Resource-Development-Sector-Barriers-and-Opportunities-Aboriginal-Women-Summary-of-Findings.pdf

Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. 2020. Gender Diversity and Inclusion: A Guide for Explorers. Available at https://www.pdac.ca/priorities/responsible-exploration/gender/gender-diversity-and-inclusion-guidance-document

Human health

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). Air Quality Management System (AQMS) and the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). Available at https://ccme.ca/en/current-activities/air

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. First Nation Profiles. Available at https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/index.aspx?lang=eng

First Nations Major Projects Coalition. 2020. Guidance Appendices to the Major Projects Assessment Standard – Appendix 4: Indigenous Health Impact Assessment. Available at https://fnmpc.ca/wp-content/uploads/FNMPCMPASGuidanceappendices-FINALJanuary2020.pdf

Health Canada. Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/water-quality/drinking-water/canadian-drinking-water-guidelines.html

Health Canada. Food Security. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/nutrition-science-research/food-security.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Air Quality. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.902734/publication.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Country Foods. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.930343/publication.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Drinking and Recreational Water Quality. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.902736/publication.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Noise. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.930338/publication.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Radiological Impacts. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.930341/publication.html

Health Canada. 2023. Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Effects in Impact Assessment: Human Health Risk Assessment. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.930345/publication.html

Health Canada. 2024. Interim Guidance: Health Impact Assessment of Designated Projects under the Impact Assessment Act. Available at https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.930345/publication.html.

Indigenous Services Canada. The Community Well-Being Index. Available at https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100016579/1557319653695

National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health. 2022. Understanding Indigenous Health Inequalities through a Social Determinants Model. Available at https://www.nccih.ca/495/Indigenous-health-inequalities-social-determinants.nccih?id=10373

Public Health Agency of Canada. 2024. Inequalities in Mental Health, Well-Being, and Wellness in Canada. Available at https://health-infobase.canada.ca/mental-health/inequalities/report.html

Public Health Agency of Canada, the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Pan-Canadian Health Inequalities Data Tool. Available at https://health-infobase.canada.ca/health-inequalities/indicat

Public Health Agency of Canada. 2019. Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequalities. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html

Public Health Agency of Canada, 2019. Positive Mental Health Indicator Framework. Available at https://health-infobase.canada.ca/positive-mental-health/

Salerno, T., Tam, J., Page, J., Gosling, S., and Firelight Research Inc. 2021. Indigenous Mental Wellness and Major Project Development: Guidance for Impact Assessment Professionals and Indigenous Communities. Available at https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/iaac-acei/documents/research/indigenous-mental-wellness-and-ia-en.pdf

Indigenous participation and engagement

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. 2015. Technical Guidance for Assessing Physical and Cultural Heritage or any Structure, Site or Thing under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/services/policy-guidance/technical-guidance-assessing-physical-cultural-heritage-or-structure-site-or-thing.html

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. 2015. Technical Guidance for assessing the Current Use of Lands and Resources for Traditional Purposes under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Available at https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/iaac-acei/documents/policy-guidance/assessing-current-use-lands-resources-traditional-purposes/current_use_final_draft-eng.pdf

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. First Nation Profiles. Available at https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/index.aspx?lang=eng

First Nations Information Governance Centre. The First Nations Principles of OCAP. Available at https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/

Indigenous Advisory Committee. 2020 and onward. Indigenous Advisory Committee Advice Provided to the Agency on the Impact Assessment System. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/advisory/advisory-groups/indigenous-advisory-committee.html

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 2019. Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Available at https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

United Nations. 2007. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Available at https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html

Species at risk

Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. COSEWIC Status Reports. Available at: https://cosewic.ca/index.php/en/

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Critical Habitat for Species at Risk National Dataset – Canada. Available at https://data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca/data/species/protectrestore/critical-habitat-species-at-risk-canada/?lang=en

Environment and Climate Change Canada. Species at Risk Public Registry. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry.html

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2016. Guidelines for Permitting under Section 73 of SARA. Available at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/policies-guidelines/permitting-under-section-73.html

Other

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2011. Protocols Manual for Water Quality Sampling in Canada. Available at https://ccme.ca/en/res/protocolsdocument_e_-final1.0.pdf

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2020. Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance Document. Available at https://ccme.ca/en/res/eraguidance_e.pdf

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2009. Environmental Code of Practice for Metal Mines. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/migration/main/lcpe-cepa/documents/codes/mm/mm-eng.pdf

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2025. Guidelines for the Assessment of Alternatives for Mine Waste Disposal. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-pollution/sources-industry/mining-effluent/metal-diamond-mining-effluent/tailings-impoundment-areas/guidelines-alternatives-mine-waste-disposal.html

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Available at https://www.gbif.org/

Government of Canada. Open Science and Data Platform. Available at https://osdp-psdo.canada.ca/dp/en

The International Network for Acid Prevention. 2014. Global Acid Rock Drainage Guide. Available at http://www.gardguide.com

Mine Environment Neutral Drainage. 2014. Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) Report 3.50.1–- Study to Identify BATEA for the Management and Control of Effluent Quality from Mines. Available at: http://mend-nedem.org/mend-report/study-to-identify-batea-for-the-management-and-control-of-effluent-quality-from-mines/

Neighbourhood Bat Watch. Neighbourhood Bat Watch. Available at https://batwatch.ca/

Price, William A. 2009. Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) Report 1.20.1 Prediction Manual for Drainage Chemistry from Sulphidic Geologic Materials. Available at http://mend-nedem.org/mend-report/prediction-manual-for-drainage-chemistry-from-sulphidic-geologic-materials/

Statistics Canada. 2017. Introduction to Ecological Land Classification (ELC) 2017. Available at: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects/standard/environment/elc/2017-1

Transport Canada. 2023. Navigation Safety Assessment Process National Guidelines. Available at https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/publications/tp-15577-navigation-safety-assessment-process-national-guidelines-06-2023

WildTrax. WildTrax. Available at https://wildtrax.ca/