Toronto | Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat –  Tim Gray, Executive Director at Environmental Defence, made the following statement in response to the federal government’s proposed changes to major project decision-making:

“Prime Minister Carney is putting Canada’s environment, waters and rarest and most vulnerable species at risk if he proceeds with this proposal to bulldoze through projects without proper process. This proposal suggests, without evidence for need, that Canada should sacrifice the rule of law and our most sensitive species and ecosystems in order to build pipelines and other projects. If approved, this proposal will take Canada back to a more dangerous, toxic and destructive time and leave Canadians facing impacts that could last for generations.”

EXPERT ANALYSIS: 

Creation of Federal Economic Zones 

  • The proposed Federal Economic Zones legislation seems likely to pose a grave threat to the rule of law in Canada. It would empower the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to exempt swathes of the country and projects like fossil gas pipelines from the federal laws that keep Canadians safe. They would allow Cabinet to bulldoze through projects without any due consideration not just of their environmental or climate impact — but also, seemingly their impact on public safety. The idea that projects can be “pre-approved” and deemed to be in the public interest before a review has begun is completely backwards and extremely reckless.
  • Decision making for pipelines would move from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), a politically appointed body. Decisions about whether a project is in the public interest would be made before the CER completes a review of the route.

Species At Risk

  • This proposal would grant any company or projects the government chooses a blank cheque to drive entire species to extinction or extirpation. Every proponent will have an incentive to pretend that the “jeopardy” their developments create is inevitable — and then demand a federal exemption.

Impact Assessment

  • The proposed changes would dismantle decades of progress on environmental protections by restricting the government’s ability to conduct thorough project reviews and move decision-making behind closed doors.
  • The one-year timeframe suggested for project reviews would make it impossible to adequately consider a project’s potential impacts.
  • Canada is littered with examples of what can happen when these review processes are skipped. These examples serve as reminders of the real, lasting damage that can result from poorly planned projects.

Fisheries Act

  • These proposals would allow companies to destroy critical fish habitat based on promises of future “offsetting” and habitat replacement that simply can’t be reliable. Trying to “replace” habitat is a scientifically complicated, difficult process with a track record. Granting permits on the assumption that it will succeed is a recipe for disaster.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca