The Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch (Branch) is responsible for the administration of the Environmental Assessment Act including ensuring that the requirements of the act are addressed. The Environmental Assessment Project Coordination Section of the Branch is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Minister for a decision on Environmental Assessments (EAs), Class EA documents, declarations and designations. This review includes coordinating technical comments from the Ministry’s Regional and District Offices and policy branches related to the Ministry’s mandated areas of interest in air, land and water. The Branch also coordinates a review of comments from affected members of the public, municipalities, aboriginal communities, other ministries and agencies.

With respect to specific projects under an approved Class EA document or under the Electricity Projects Regulation, the Ministry’s Regional Office is involved in these projects as a required commenting agency or as a review agency having an interest in the project. The Regional EA Coordinators provide comments from the Districts and other Ministry branches related to these specific projects. Class EA processes and the EA process under the Electricity Regulation includes public notice requirements. Copies of these notices are required to be sent to the Regional Offices.

Class EA documents and the Electricity Regulation make provisions for individuals to request that the Minister elevate a project to an individual EA which would require review and approval by the Minister and Cabinet. Elevation requests under the Electricity Regulation and Part II Order (Bump-Up) requests related to specific Class EA projects are reviewed by the Project Review Unit within the Environmental Assessment and Approval Branch. The Project Review Unit may coordinate comments on the request from the Ministry’s Regional and District Offices, other branches, and other ministries and agencies. Once all information is received and reviewed, the Project Review Unit provides a recommendation to the Minister who is responsible for making a decision on the request.