Opportunities and Challenges of Environmental Assessment under CEAA 2012

Abstract

The objective of this study was to review how implementation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012, as a part of the Canadian Federal Budget Bill (C-38), will affect environmental assessment, and ultimately sustainability, in Canada. CEAA 2012 governs environmental assessment in Canada, and there are serious questions about what effects some of the changes will have on the environmental assessment process.Due to the recent nature of the changes, an extensive analysis has not been conducted on professional perception and logistical implications of the new law. This study aims to interpret specific changes from CEAA 1995 to CEAA 2012, and offer insight into what these legal changes may mean for how environmental assessment is carried out, and its future in Canada. Interviews were conducted with sixteen individuals that have professional experience or knowledge of environmental assessment in Canada. The interviewees are from four pre-determined groups: Provincial (Nova Scotia) Government, Federal Government, industry and academia. The study examined the changes from the point of view of the energy sector, an industry that is increasingly important economically in Canada. Interview data were analyzed in a SWOT analysis and used to conduct a case study using an environmental assessment for a fossil fuel project completed under CEAA 1995 and compared to methodology under CEAA 2012.

Keywords: Canadian Environmental Impact Assessment, Canadian Environmental Law, Environmental Assessment, Sustainability, Sustainable Development