ARTICLE · 15 NOVEMBER 2018

B.C. Introduces New Environmental Assessment Legislation

Miller Titerle + Company

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The British Columbia government has introduced legislation to modernize the environmental assessment ("EA") of major resource projects

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The British Columbia government has introduced legislation to modernize the environmental assessment ("EA") of major resource projects. If passed, it would be the first legislation in B.C. to directly support the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People ("UNDRIP") and to recognize the inherent jurisdiction of Indigenous nations.

How Did This Come About?

The notion of revitalizing the provincial EA process first emerged in 2017 in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the BC Green Party and the BC NDP, which paved the way for the NDP's ascension to power. It eventually made its way into Minister George Heyman's mandate letter, which directed him to, among other things, "[r]evitalize the Environmental Assessment process and review the professional reliance model to ensure the legal rights of First Nations are respected, and the public's expectation of a strong, transparent process is met." On March 7^th, 2018, Minister

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