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EIA Midterm Study Cards Flashcards

1
Q

The WHAT of EA

A
  1. Process that recognizes environmental impacts
  2. Planning tool for info-gathering and decision making
  3. Provides decision-maker with objective basis for approval/denial
  4. Provides plan for follow-up
  5. Proposes mitigation for environmental impacts
  6. Multi-disciplinary: ecology, law, culture, management, economics
  7. Gathers info for future decisions
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2
Q

The WHO of EA

A
  1. Involves many types of people:
  2. 1st Nations
  3. Governments
  4. Community/Public
  5. Proponents
  6. Decision makers
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3
Q

The WHY of EA

A
  1. To try and stop impacts before they happen
  2. To be critically aware of our impacts on land/water/other animals/other people
  3. “Meet the goals of sustainability”
  4. Ensure concerns of all people involved/effected are considered
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4
Q

(BCEAA) BC Environmental Assessment Act

A

Policy, procedures and technical guidelines

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5
Q

The WHEN of EA

A

When a project is proposed that triggers an EA OR is given an EA by the Minister
Began in 1970 in US and 1972 in Canada

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6
Q

Why study EA?

A
  1. Plan more effectively in future
  2. Shows human values
  3. To find & correct flaws within EA process
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7
Q

EAO

A

Environmental Assessment Office

  1. Reviews projects
  2. Reports findings
  3. Gives recommendations
  4. Writes up project conditions
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8
Q

EA Process

A
  1. Project proposal (description)
  2. Scoping: all env. data collected (triggers)
  3. Application info requirements
  4. App evaluated for completeness
  5. App review & Public input component
  6. Assessment report (public input and actual findings)
  7. App sent to ministers and decision is made
  8. IF APPROVED: certification issued, monitoring, enforcement

VERY subjective

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9
Q

Major projects that trigger EA’s

A
  1. Industrial projects (chemical and metal manufacturing)
  2. Logging projects
  3. Energy projects
  4. Mining projects
  5. Water management/infrastucture
  6. Waste management/infrastructure
  7. Food processing projects
  8. Transportation Projects
  9. Tourist destinations
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10
Q

Ministerial Designation

A

Minister of Environment has authority to have projects reviewed if it is believed to have adverse environmental, economic, health, social or heritage effects

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11
Q

Federal Gov’t is involved if…

A
  1. Fed authority is the proponent
  2. Fed $$ is involved
  3. Project involves land that fed. authority has interest in
  4. Any aspect of the project needs fed. approval/authorization
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12
Q

Harmonization

A

When fed. and prov. EA’s are triggered

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13
Q

MOU on Substitution of EA’s

A

Memorandum of Understanding

Substitution: Under CEAA, there can be a single review but 2 decisions

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14
Q

BC EAO

A 
Based in Victoria
Started 1995
133 out of 263 projects have been approved
30 days to review applications
Have ability to suspend timelines
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15
Q

GHG emission reduction targets

A

2020: 33% less than 2007
2050: 80% less than 2007
No link to EA process at all

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16
Q

“Climate tests”

A
  • If a project emits more that X emissions, it triggers an EA (Rosanna and Erin)
  • Scope of EA’s should include full life cycle of emissions: emissions from extraction, transport and use @ final destination
  • Include the consideration of a “zero option” (scenario without the project)
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17
Q

“Significant impacts”

A

MAJOR issue in EA because lots of projects get away with adverse impacts because they are deemed “not significant”

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18
Q

Trade off’s in EA

A

Efficiency VS. Thoroughness
Flexibility: can be good or bad
Lenience on certain projects: can cause conflict
Balancing guidelines, circumstances and people’s concerns

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19
Q

Pros/cons of Proponent-led process

A

Pros:
-Saves tax payer money
-Allows proponent to fully understand impacts of project
-Reduces complication of process: if gov’t was following process as it went it would have many more steps
Cons:
-EA proposal could be biased because proponents hire scientists to do studies
-Proponent could pay people to make project get approved even though it has adverse impacts

20
Q

FPIC

A

Free Prior Informed Consent
Recognizes indigenous peoples rights to their lands and
resources and respects their authority to enter into an equal
and respectful relationship with them, based on informed consent

21
Q

Haida & Taku

A

WHY: resulted in “duty to consult and accomodate”
WHAT: Mining road through critical caribou habitat
WHEN: 2004
WHO: Haida and Tlingit tribes and Supreme court
WHERE: BC

22
Q

“Duty to consult and accommodate”

A

Gov’t MUST consult any 1st nations peoples if a project is proposed on their territory
IF EA gets approved/there is adverse impacts, the proponent make royalty payments, education, work or cash compensation or provision of alternative lands

23
Q

Red Chris Mine

A

WHY: Fed. authority tried to change scope so they wouldn’t have to conduct public hearings AND so an EA would only be triggered for tailing pond and use of explosives. Led to law preventing anyone to change the scope of a project to get around mandatory parts of an EA
WHO: Talhtan 1st Nations, Imperial Metals, DFO and NRC (natural resources canada)
WHAT: Open-pit copper, silver & gold mine
WHEN: Approved under CEAA in 2006
WHERE: “Sacred Headwaters” Skeena, Stikine & Naas watershed

24
Q

Prosperity & New Prosperity Mine

A

WHY: Drew attention to concerns with BC’s EAO and process - Prov. said yes and Fed. said hell no
WHO: Taseko, Chilcotin & Xeni Gwi’tin, BC EAO and Fed. Gov’t
WHAT: Gold-copper mine rejected twice under CEAA
WHEN: 2015
WHERE: BC

25
Jackpine Mine Expansion
WHY: one of the 1st reviews approved under new CEAA (2012) policy "projects with sig. adverse effects can be justified under the circumstances" - Justified for whom? WHO: Nation Energy Board, Fed. Gov't WHAT: Oil-sands expansion, 23 lakes acidified, Bison&Caribou habitat destoyed, 18% of wetlands in region effected, human respiratory effects WHEN: 2014 WHERE: Alberta
26
Reasons EA's were created
1. growing concerns about env. and impacts of develpoment 2. Silent Spring, DDT, new pollutants, post-WWII increase in development, smog, etc. 3. failure of existing regulatory approach of early 1900's
27
5 early efforts to enforce sustainability
1. CORE (commission on resource and env. land use planning) 2. Forest practices code 1994 3. Mineral exploration code 4. Provincial parks increased from 5 to 15% 5. Rejection of Windy Craggy mine
28
Ed Begley Jr.
“I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress”
29
Wreck Cove
WHY: Shows how vulnerable EIA system is to strong proponent & political/economic power, shows how weak EIA enforcement used to be, 2nd major undertaking under the EARP,example of how NOT to do an EA – so much manipulation involved WHO: FEARO, EARP, Nova Scotia Power Corporation WHAT: 11 hydroelectric dams on 5 rivers, corrupt, McLaren Report edited down from 17 to 9 pages WHEN:began 1950's, haulted 1956, began again in 1974 WHERE: Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Highlands National Park
30
Rafferty-Alameda and Oldman Dams
WHAT: 2 dams to supply water to arid regions WHERE: Sask and Alberta, rivers crossed into US WHO: Peigan 1st Nations, AB provincial gov't WHEN: proposed 1980, court cases 90's-2000 WHY: Led to the est. of the CEAA and the EARP Guidelines Order
31
EARP Guidelines Order
Made EA legally binding
32
Voisey's Bay Mine
WHY: Canada's 1st "sustainability assessment" set standard for projects, suggested projects should reduce impacts AND contribute something positive to the area WHAT: huge copper, cobalt and nickel mine WHEN: discovered 1993, propsed 1995, mining began 2005, still operational WHO: INCO, prov. and fed. gov't, Innu 1st Nations WHERE: Labrador & Newfoundland
33
Red Hill Creek Expressway
WHAT: Large infrastructural project – Bypass highway WHERE: Hamilton, southern ON, in the middle of a large nature corridor – important area for wildlife WHO: Provincial gov’t, multiple 1st nations, 100+ university professors WHEN: First proposed in 1956, brought back in the 80’s, construction began in late 90’s WHY IMPORTANT: Proponent argued that EA was not required because the project had started before the act was enforced (& in the end didn’t have to go thru an EA) because of “grandfather loophole”, led to the removal of this loophole
34
Triggers of EA's
``` Energy thresholds Size Production thresholds Transboundary impacts Wildlife habitat impacts ```
35
Projects that are under different jursdictions and not required to have an EA
Exploratory drilling Seismic lines Residential land development
36
Compliance reports
Created in the 90's b/c some projects ere not following conditions Small penalty fro not reporting but larger penalty for mis-reporting
37
Policy-based VS. Legislative
Policy-based: conditions after approval not legally binding | Legislative: conditions after approval are legally binding
38
Step 1
Project is proposed and determined"reviewable" | First Nation Consultation begins
39
Step 2
Scope and process determined
40
Step 3
Application Information Requirements -info gathered Public comment period Compliance management begins here
41
Step 4
Application evaluated for completeness | 30 days to complete the evaluation
42
Step 5
Application reviewed by EAO | Public comment period
43
Step 6
Assessment report written -recommendations -conditions First Nation Consultation ends
44
Step 7
Report given to Ministers | They have 45 days to make decision
45
Step 8
Decision made Ministers can consider any other public input in their decision IF APPROVED: Certificate issued with conditions & monitoring and compliance begins IF NOT APPROVED: Further assessment is required OR project stopped completely
46
VC's
Valued Components
47
Gibson
"Sustainability means to not only minimize impacts on the environment but to optimize contributions to sustainability" "Old sustainability" : considering the interrelationships among important concerns and influences, and looking beyond immediate results to implications for future generations "New sustainability" : providing decent lives for all without wrecking the planet

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