While I do not question that…

While I do not question that Highway 413 may help to alleviate some gridlock conditions, I believe that it has already been fast-tracked so extensively that it's very likely there are areas that have not received proper research and consideration (and that's before the proposal to exempt Highway 413 from typical environmental assessment requirements.) Infrastructure development is a key element for every government, and enabling proposals such as this sets a very concerning example that incentivizes governments to continually push to be exempt from typical processes because it is "urgent".

As an economics and accounting grad in my second year of studies for Ecosystem Management, I believe that the environmental costs are being undervalued and brushed under the rug. Healthy, functioning ecosystems are key to the quality of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat, yet very little consideration is being given to the ripple effect that may occur as a result of allowing the construction of Highway 413 without proper due diligence.

Laws and regulations such as the Environmental Assessment Act were recorded as public policy to ensure that we do not continue to exploit the environment around us as if it were limitless. Laws such as these one were instituted to ensure we take the necessary precautions and perform proper, thorough analysis in order to safeguard our environment. When laws and regulations such as there were established, it was due to overwhelming research that showed the importance of protecting the Earth we live on, and given that this hasn't changed (or in all reality, things have actually probably gotten worse) - I question why any politician thinks they can more appropriately judge the needs of their citizens.

The proposal is suggesting that environmental assessments would still need to be performed, however - the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario would control this process. Given that we have a working system in place based on scientific research and professional judgement, moving away from this system can seemingly only be for the purposes of fast-tracking or bypassing key procedures and processes.

I think that there will always be many incentives to expedite infrastructure projects - however, given the knowledge we have now about how truly delicate the Earth's many ecosystems are, we can no longer simply stand by and allow "progress" to take priority over anything else. Proper environmental assessments and analysis ensure that not only is the decision correct for the current time, but that it will consider future impacts and generations to come.