What is an environmental assessment?
An environmental assessment (EA) (commonly known as an individual EA) is a study that is completed by the proponent to assess the potential environmental effects (positive or negative) of an individual project. Key components of an environmental assessment include:
- consultation with government agencies and the public
- consideration and evaluation of alternatives
- the management of potential environmental effects
A terms of reference which is a work plan for preparation of the EA, must be approved by the Minister before the EA can start. Approval from the Minister and Cabinet for the project is required before the project can be constructed.
How long does the ministry review and decision process take for an individual environmental assessment?
The government has legislated deadlines on the decision making process to ensure that the review of a terms of reference and an environmental assessment (EA) is completed within a reasonable amount of time. At a minimum, the review and decision of a terms of reference is about 12 weeks and the review and decision of an EA is about 30 weeks.
What is the difference between an environmental assessment and an environmental site assessment?
An environmental site assessment is NOT the same as an environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act. In general, an environmental site assessment is a report prepared for a real estate holding which identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities. It typically includes:
- phase I – a visual and historic assessment of the land
- phase II – a testing of physical or chemical samples
- phase III – cleaning up of contaminated land (a brownfield site)
