The Review Board is pleased to announce the release of an external report it commissioned into the environmental assessment process in the Mackenzie Valley. The report was prepared by Stantec Consulting Limited and focuses on opportunities to improve the timeliness of the Review Board’s environmental assessment process.
The report was commissioned as the first step in the Review Board’s work to address criticism by industry and others that the regulatory system governing land and water resources in the Mackenzie Valley is increasingly complex and lengthy. Stakeholders have raised concerns that environmental assessments have now become onerous for all participants from the perspective of work load and available resources. The Review Board is very aware of those concerns and made timeliness of the environmental assessment process the top priority in its most recent three year strategic plan.
Complimenting existing regulatory improvement initiatives
The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act establishes three progressive stages of environmental impact assessment of which environmental assessment is the middle step. On average, typical environmental assessments are becoming longer and more detailed and may have surpassed the original expectations of the comprehensive land claims agreements and the legislation for the middle stage between preliminary screening and environmental impact review.
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada announced Northern Regulatory Improvement Action Plan is addressing regulatory improvement from a broader perspective, and includes process clarification and efficiencies that can be gained through legislative amendments. The Review Board is complementing the Northern Regulatory Improvement Action Plan with its own set of internal process improvements. The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act allows for considerable flexibility in the process and the Review Board has the latitude and authority to make changes to its processes.
The Mackenzie Valley Review Board’s response
The first step the Review Board took was to hire Stantec Consulting Ltd. to provide its perspective on improving timeliness in the environmental assessment process. By hiring Stantec, the issue of process timeliness was examined with “new eyes”.
The Stantec Report is now completed and is attached and available for downloading here. In its report, Stantec identified several areas with room for improvement. Some are within the Review Board’s control, others require collaboration of parties, and some involve legislative change.
The main recommendations focus on improving scoping efficiency, developing a defined process for referrals to environmental impact reviews, developing environmental assessment processes for large versus small projects, improving guidance materials and implementing rules based timelines.
The Review Board is reviewing Stantec’s recommendations along with its own internal analysis and will initiate improvements it feels are appropriate and within its authority to change. There will be improvements that can be implemented in the short term while others will require more time. More information on the nature and timing of process improvements will be shared with stakeholders in the coming weeks.
The report was commissioned as the first step in the Review Board’s work to address criticism by industry and others that the regulatory system governing land and water resources in the Mackenzie Valley is increasingly complex and lengthy. Stakeholders have raised concerns that environmental assessments have now become onerous for all participants from the perspective of work load and available resources. The Review Board is very aware of those concerns and made timeliness of the environmental assessment process the top priority in its most recent three year strategic plan.
Complimenting existing regulatory improvement initiatives
The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act establishes three progressive stages of environmental impact assessment of which environmental assessment is the middle step. On average, typical environmental assessments are becoming longer and more detailed and may have surpassed the original expectations of the comprehensive land claims agreements and the legislation for the middle stage between preliminary screening and environmental impact review.
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada announced Northern Regulatory Improvement Action Plan is addressing regulatory improvement from a broader perspective, and includes process clarification and efficiencies that can be gained through legislative amendments. The Review Board is complementing the Northern Regulatory Improvement Action Plan with its own set of internal process improvements. The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act allows for considerable flexibility in the process and the Review Board has the latitude and authority to make changes to its processes.
The Mackenzie Valley Review Board’s response
The first step the Review Board took was to hire Stantec Consulting Ltd. to provide its perspective on improving timeliness in the environmental assessment process. By hiring Stantec, the issue of process timeliness was examined with “new eyes”.
The Stantec Report is now completed and is attached and available for downloading here. In its report, Stantec identified several areas with room for improvement. Some are within the Review Board’s control, others require collaboration of parties, and some involve legislative change.
The main recommendations focus on improving scoping efficiency, developing a defined process for referrals to environmental impact reviews, developing environmental assessment processes for large versus small projects, improving guidance materials and implementing rules based timelines.
The Review Board is reviewing Stantec’s recommendations along with its own internal analysis and will initiate improvements it feels are appropriate and within its authority to change. There will be improvements that can be implemented in the short term while others will require more time. More information on the nature and timing of process improvements will be shared with stakeholders in the coming weeks.