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ARTICLE · 12 NOVEMBER 2019

Getting Projects Built Under Canada's New Impact Assessment Regime

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Canada's environmental sector is evolving. A new regulatory regime has been introduced by the federal government to assess the impact of large projects on the environment

CanadaEnvironment
Dennis Mahony
Dennis Mahony
Michael Fortier
Michael Fortier
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Canada's environmental sector is evolving. A new regulatory regime has been introduced by the federal government to assess the impact of large projects on the environment, with a wide-ranging scope of focus that encompasses climate change, broad socio-economic benefits, and greater collaboration with stakeholders and Indigenous groups.

We believe that proponents who invest the time and effort in the early stages to carefully prepare for the assessment process will reap substantial benefits in their pursuit of new opportunities across Canada.

Broader assessments in Canada

For decades, federal environmental assessment has been a major part of the development of large projects across Canada, including pipelines, ports, railway yards, mines and nuclear facilities. The regime was substantially changed this past August when the new Impact Assessment Act (IAA) came into force, replacing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012). Key changes include:

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