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ARTICLE · 26 OCTOBER 2018

Environmental Assessments No Longer Necessary?

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In May 2017 the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported the existence of approximately 16 dams located throughout northern British Colombia constructed without the proper regulatory approvals

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
Paula Lombardi
Paula Lombardi
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In May 2017 the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported the existence of approximately 16 dams located throughout northern British Colombia constructed without the proper regulatory approvals. The dams were allegedly constructed by Progress Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petronas, a Malaysian state-owned company ("Progress"), and other companies to support its fracking operations.

It appears that 2 dams of the 16 should have been subject to review by British Colombia's Environmental Assessment Office ("EAO"). This review, if it concluded that the dams could be constructed, would have resulted in the EAO issuing a certificate allowing the company to get the necessary authorizations from other provincial agencies.

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