Comments on Proposed Project…

Comments on Proposed Project List for Comprehensive Environmental Assessments under the EAA (ERO #019-2377)

To whom it may concern;
On behalf of Advocates for the North Shore Water & Environmental Resources (ANSWER), it is with grave concern that I write to you regarding changes to the province’s Environmental Assessment Act, particularly the removal of requirements that public projects require Environmental Assessments in favour of a proposed Project List for comprehensive EAs.
The Ontario government claims that this proposal is part of an initiative to stimulate economic activity through infrastructure projects that will create jobs and improve quality of life. Under the same rationale, we have recently seen the province deregulate environmental and endangered species protections that took decades to build; cancel renewable energy projects; scale back on hazardous waste management guidelines; reduce climate change commitments; and eliminate the office of the Environmental Commissioner. While the public has been distracted by the pandemic, the Ontario government has pushed a developer-friendly agenda forward. Public information and awareness pertaining to these initiatives has been limited, and for a time, public input through the Environmental Registry was suspended. This lack of transparency does little to foster trust that decisions are being made in the best interest of all stakeholders.
The current proposal that a “project list” be the determining factor in which projects do require full environmental assessments seems short-sighted and reckless. This list seems far from complete and lacks scientific explanation. What evidence is there to substantiate what makes the list and what doesn’t? Sewage treatment plants, quarries, fracking, refineries, pipelines, forestry operations, pulp mills, etc. have not made “the list”, and all have potential for great harm to the environment. In a supposed effort to streamline the process and eliminate duplication with other legislation, policies and processes, it seems that the science that should be driving these decisions is being ignored. For all projects, it would seem logical and responsible to base the need for Environmental Assessment on the location of the proposed project, as well as what the project is. Will it impact sensitive wetlands, woodlands, farmland, and wildlife habitat?
Collectively, the recent surge of program and regulatory changes in Ontario is alarming! We are already in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and these reductions in our environmental protections could have lasting and irreversible consequences. If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it is to be even more diligent with regards to the environment and human health and safety. Protecting the environment is vital to the future health and welfare of everyone!
It is our hope that this proposal will be denied in the best interest of all Ontarians and the natural environment.

Respectfully,
Rhonda Kirby for ANSWER (Advocates for the North Shore Water & Environmental Resources)
Township of the North Shore