BC LNG: Environmental Assessment Process

The various LNG Export Terminals proposed to be built in British Columbia may be subject to environmental assessment (or EA) under both the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act. The EA process, whether under the Federal or Provincial legislation, examines projects to identify adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects that may occur during development and operation of proposed facilities. The EA process includes involvement/consultation with interested parties such as First Nations and working groups, technical studies and the development of comprehensive reports.

In order to minimize duplication and streamline these generally similar Federal and Provincial processes, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) and the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (the BC EAO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on the Substitution of Environmental