Environmental impact assessment

Petition: 486

Issue(s): Climate change; Environmental assessment; Governance; Human/environmental health; Water

Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident

Petitioner location(s): Victoria, British Columbia

Date received: 13 June 2023

Status: Completed—Response(s) to petition received

Summary: The petition raises concerns about the methodology used by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada during the environmental assessment of the Bay du Nord Development Project, an offshore oil facility that is 500 kilometres off the coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador. The petition states that critical elements were omitted in the impact assessment and alleges that failing to conduct valid assessments is leading the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to approve projects on the basis of incomplete and misleading information. The petition notes that the Bay du Nord project was assessed against its potential effects on fish and fish habitats, migratory birds, Indigenous and commercial fisheries, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, and accidents and malfunctions. However, downstream greenhouse gas emissions due to the nature of the project were excluded from the assessment. The petition alleges that downstream emissions are the most important effects of the project. The petition mentions that not accounting for the downstream emissions in the impact assessment is out of line with the government’s commitment to a 40% to 45% emission reduction from the 2005 levels by 2030.

The petition refers to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and indicates that the act includes a broad definition of effects that were not considered in the health and environmental assessment of the Bay du Nord project. The petition argues that excluding downstream emissions contravenes the act and asks whether measures will be taken to correct the impact assessment to ensure that it complies with the act. Furthermore, the petition asks whether the agency will inform the minister that not all of the project’s effects were evaluated so that he can reconsider his decision. The petition asks what measures the agency will put in place to ensure that all of a project’s effects are considered in future assessments.

According to the petition, excluding some of the environmental effects of the Bay du Nord project in the assessment report directly affected the minister’s decision process, as he was not provided with valid and accurate information. The petition argues that the minister could not properly assess how the project contributed to sustainability and how the extent of the project’s effects hindered or contributed to the government’s ability to meet its environmental obligations and climate‑change commitments. The petition asks whether the minister will obtain a more complete assessment of the project and reconsider his decision to approve it. The petition inquires as to possible safeguards that the minister can implement to ensure that all the effects of a project as defined in the act are considered in future assessments by the agency.

Federal departments/organizations responsible for reply: Environment and Climate Change Canada; Impact Assessment Agency of Canada