On Oct. 24, 2013, amendments to the regulations under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act significantly changed the range of projects subject to federal environmental assessment.
The changes to the Regulations Designating Physical Activities mean, among other things, that oil sands mines expansions are now subject to EA while heavy oil and oil sands processing facilities as well as pipelines other than offshore pipelines that are not regulated by the National Energy Board have been removed from the list. Existing oil sands projects have not been included but will be subject to provincial regulation.
“The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency . . . does not expect that the amendments to the regulations will significantly alter the total number of projects that are subject to the federal EA process set out in CEAA 2012,” according to Borden Ladner Gervais’ November 2013 Oil and Gas Alert.
Julius Melnitzer – Financial Post – November 11, 2013.
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