It is extremely upsetting…

It is extremely upsetting that Bill 197 was passed with zero opportunity for meaningful public input. A Conservative majority does not trump the importance of meaningful public input and the Ontario government must adhere to its obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights.

Schedule 6 of Bill 197 is deeply concerning and a shamefully problematic and limited way of understanding the complexities and context of the environment and communities around proposed projects. Mining projects and other major projects associated with the operation of a mine must be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment. It is well documented that mining projects have serious negative environment consequences and human impacts. These negative impacts lasts lifetimes and it is unconscionable and unscientific that such major projects continue to skirt environmental assessment in Ontario.

Furthermore, the government should not have increased power and discretion to make decisions over public projects, as this bill indicates. The public must have an opportunity to have a say in all environmentally-significant projects, which is why the environmental assessment process is absolutely necessary and must be applied to both public and private projects.

Relying on science and the precautionary principle saves watersheds, soil, the balance of ecosystems, and human lives. Relying on “thresholds” or “triggers,” as indicated in the bill, has been proven time and time again to be an ineffective way to assess whether a project should require environmental assessment. We need science that predicts environmental impacts, not a system that waits until something is about to fail before taking serious steps to prevent catastrophe, which has happened consistently at mining and other large infrastructure sites.

Furthermore, the Environmental Assessment Act must be applied to all major public and private sector undertakings. The select few proposed here demonstrates the current government's shortsightedness. The province of Ontario must not prioritize big business over environmental and Indigenous concerns. A 4-year political cycle and a majority Conservative government should not justify pushing through legislation that will negatively impact entire communities, families, and the environment for generations to come. Projects being proposed on Indigenous territory must require free, prior and informed consent from Indigenous communities and this must be in the language of the bill as it pertains to environmental assessment.