ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Action Item:

Action Item Indicators:

Reduce costs and delays in the federal assessment review process for individual projects by avoiding duplication, increasing certainty and resolving issues.

Supports Priorities 1 & 2

• Coordinate the environmental assessment process where the Agency is the Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator (FEAC).

• Determined by the percentage of projects, where the Agency is the FEAC, that had a timely and coordinated process.

Maximize predictability, increase efficiency and minimize conflicts, while strengthening effectiveness and accountability by establishing a cooperative policy framework for environmental assessment processes across jurisdictions.

Supports Priority 1

• Implement or renew cooperation agreements.

• Number of concluded cooperative agreements or arrangements on environmental assessment where jurisdictions are supportive.

Establish, as part of land claims and self-government agreements, environmental assessment regimes that meet or exceed the requirements of the Act.

Supports Priorities 2 & 3

• Provide ongoing policy advice and support to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in the development of environmental assessment provisions in self-government and land claims negotiations.

• Consistency with the requirements of the Act of environmental assessment regimes contained in land claims and self-government agreements signed

Plan:

Action Item:

Action Item Indicators:

Ensure integration of environmental factors into the decision-making process for a specific project or class of projects through the review panel, comprehensive study and class screenings.

Supports Priority 2

• Assist in the successful development of class screenings, review panels and comprehensive study reports.

• Determined by percentage of Agency recommendations that are accepted while avoiding legal challenges.

Promote the integration of environmental considerations at the earliest stage of the decision-making process using strategic environmental assessments.

Supports Priority 2

• Review federal policy, plan and program proposals for the inclusion of environmental considerations in decision making.
• Provide guidance to federal departments and agencies with respect to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals.

• Number of cabinet documents tracked for appropriate inclusion of consideration of environmental effects including follow-up actions with departments to ensure compliance with strategic environmental assessment requirements.

Encourage and improve public participation in the conduct of comprehensive study and panel review processes.

Supports Priority 2

• Provide a funding mechanism for stakeholders to participate in the environmental assessment process.

• Percentage of participant funding recipients who believe the participant funding program improved their participation in a project.

Provide tools and mechanisms that support an improved environmental assessment process.

Supports Priorities 1, 2 & 3

• Develop, implement and/or sponsor training courses, information sessions and guidance materials on the environmental assessment process.

• Percentage of guidance material that meets clients' needs.
• Percentage of training users who indicate that Agency training meets their needs.

Provide timely, reliable and meaningful information about environmental assessments to facilitate public involvement in the environmental assessment process.

Supports Priorities 1, 2 & 3

• Establish and maintain the CEAR Internet site.

• Service standards are developed and training and guidance provided to departments.
• Data on public use of registry and feedback from public and stakeholders.

Maintain an ongoing quality assurance program.

Supports Priority 1 & 2

• Provide performance information and analysis to program participants to promote compliance and improve the quality of environmental assessments.

• Data on compliance with the various provisions of the Act and on various parameters of quality.
• Identification of potential areas of improvement in procedures, legislation and regulations.

Promote develop and improve environmental assessment practices.

Supports Priority 2

• Research to promote, develop and improve environmental assessment practices.
• Provide a permanent repository for the results of follow-up programs conducted under the Act, which can be made publicly available and accessed by environmental assessment practitioners, stakeholders and all other members of the public.

• Utilization of research and development reports and practices.
• Systems in place for making available results of follow-up environmental monitoring programs conducted during project implementation.

Development and review of, and consultation and communication on, the legislative and policy basis for the federal practice of environmental assessment.

Supports Priorities 1 & 2

• Review existing policies and regulations in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Agency and Government of Canada priorities.
• Develop new policies and regulations in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Agency and Government of Canada priorities.

• Regulations and policies developed or reviewed and updated to reflect current issues and priorities as required.

Efficient and Effective Environmental Assessment

Adjustments:

Governor General Warrants

Northern Gas Pipeline Project

Carry Forward of 2004-2005 Eligible Lapsing Funds

Smart Regulations

Compensation for collective bargaining

Severance and Parental Benefits (paylist shortfall)

Expenditure Review Exercise

Miscellaneous adjustments (including employee benefit plans)

Reprofile to 2006-2007 (Northern Gas Pipeline Project)

Total Adjustments

Total Planned Spending

Plus: Cost of services received without charge

Development of Crown Corporation Regulations:

Crown corporations came under the Act in June 2006. The Agency will help these organizations meet their new obligations. New regulations will vary the assessment process for Crown corporations involved in the provision of commercial loans. The Exclusion List Regulations will be reviewed and amended to ensure that it takes into account the needs of Crown corporations.

Amendments to the Exclusion List Regulations:

New entries will be added to these regulations to prescribe new classes of projects to be excluded from environmental assessment and to modify thresholds of certain existing entries.

• Reductions in the number of environmental assessments of projects having insignificant effects conducted by federal responsible authorities, particularly with regard to screening assessments.
• More efficient and effective use of environmental assessment resources.

Amendments to Federal Coordination Regulations:

Federal Coordination Regulations will be amended to take into account changes brought about in 2003 by the renewed Act.

• Increased coordination among federal departments in fulfilling environmental assessment requirements and improved coordination with other participants in the environmental assessment process, including provinces, industry, environmental organizations and others.
• A more timely and predictable environmental assessment process.
• Increased transparency in the environmental assessment process.

Amendments to Canada Port Authority Environmental Assessment Regulations:

In accordance with changes brought about by the renewed Act in 2003, amendments to these regulations are needed to ensure the compre­hensiveness, consistency, transparency and overall quality of port authorities' environmental assessment processes.

• Environmental assessment procedures for port authorities will be consistent with provisions of the amended Act particularly with regard to comprehensive studies and the Registry.

Airport Authority Regulations:

In accordance with changes brought about by the renewed Act, these regulations will close a gap in the Act by requiring airport authorities to conduct an assessment of the environmental effects of projects located on the federal land over which those authorities have administration, management or other specified rights or interests.

• An environmental assessment process that captures all appropriate airport authority activities for assessment.

Review of Four Key Regulations Under the Act:

In accordance with changes brought about in 2003 by the renewed Act, the Inclusion List Regulations, Law List Regulations, Comprehensive Study List Regulations and Exclusion List Regulations will be reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant to government programs and priorities.

• Regulations kept current, reflecting latest approaches and experience with environmental assessment.

The three strategic objectives of the Agency's Sustainable Development Strategy are:

• ensuring a greater measure of certainty, predictability and timeliness in the federal environmental assessment process;
• enhancing the quality of environmental assessments; and
• seeking more meaningful public participation in the federal environmental assess­ment process.