2003/04 – 2005/06 SERVICE PLAN Environmental Assessment Office

Strategic Context

Agency Overview

The Environmental Assessment Office leads reviews of large-scale projects being proposed for development in British Columbia. Environmental assessment is a process for identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating potentially adverse impacts of major projects. The process examines a broad range of possible effects — environmental, economic, social, health and cultural/heritage — and supports balanced decision-making.

Environmental assessment serves the public interest by:

• ensuring that major projects will not threaten public health/safety or adversely affect local communities and the environment, and by instilling public confidence that this is the case;
• supporting sustainable development that improves the provincial economy;
• forestalling project planning errors which could be costly to both private and public interests;
• protecting British Columbia’s reputation for environmental integrity in external markets;
• satisfying public expectations for political accountability for project approval decisions; and
• ensuring that decisions on major projects are linked to government’s larger responsibility for the management of provincial land and resources.

Vision

Sustainable economic development that reflects the social, cultural and environmental values of British Columbians.

Mission

Provide British Columbians with a well-designed and well-delivered environmental assessment process that reflects the government’s objectives for economic growth, strong communities and sustainable resource management, based on maintaining high environmental standards.

Principles

The Environmental Assessment Office is committed to the following principles which guide our work:

Organizational Values

The Environmental Assessment Office is guided in its organizational behaviour by the following values:

• cooperation and teamwork;
• respect for the values and opinions of others;
• continuous improvement to ensure quality service;
• a professional and high-performance culture, encouraging innovation and creativity;
• accountability to the people of British Columbia; and
• a healthy workplace supporting staff development, recognition, and opportunity.

Planning Context

Various internal and external factors are expected to influence the ability of the Environmental Assessment Office to achieve its mission, goals and objectives.

Provincial Economy — Downward trends in prices for, and revenues from, many of British Columbia’s natural resources are currently constraining economic growth, although prices for some products (e.g., energy) are expected to increase. Many resource-based communities, particularly those which have experienced workforce dislocations, are anxious for new economic opportunities.

Market Expectations — Environmental assessment is an integral component of broader environmental management systems worldwide. Consumer demands for assurances regarding environmental sustainability and consumer health increasingly affect both global and domestic markets. An environmental assessment approval can be an important marketing and financing asset.

Potential Project Effects — Major projects may raise significant health and safety, community and environmental issues with the public. The public will continue to expect opportunities for substantial involvement in environmental assessments, especially for controversial projects. Decision-making will need to be transparent, based on best available technical information, and reflective of government’s broader objectives for the management of provincial land and resources.

Federal Government’s Role — More than 70% of projects which are subject to the provincial environmental assessment process must also satisfy federal environmental assessment requirements. Over the past decade, federal interpretation of their jurisdiction has resulted in more federal involvement in areas of traditionally provincial resource and land use jurisdiction. This trend is expected to continue with new federal initiatives, as well as with evolving interpretation of and changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. An improved agreement for federal/provincial cooperation in environmental assessment continues to be a priority.

First Nations — Court decisions have provided direction to government on their obligations to consider aboriginal interests. These obligations will be fulfilled through the environmental assessment process consistent with the approach to First Nations consultation on aboriginal rights and/or title outlined in the Provincial Consultation Policy (2002). Besides agreements negotiated by proponents, federal and provincial governments have established several programs designed to address First Nation interests, including economic measures (Province of British Columbia) and resource access negotiations (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada).

Requests for funding to develop the capacity of First Nations to participate in project reviews are anticipated. Consultation and accommodations required by these court decisions may cause delays and contribute to economic uncertainty, especially given the limited resources devoted to these processes. Ongoing challenges are anticipated where First Nations land claims are unresolved or provincial land use-planning is incomplete.

Increased Regulatory Efficiency — Government has made considerable progress towards reducing regulatory burden that hampers sustainable economic investment and impacts productivity in British Columbia. This is leading to a greater emphasis on delivering services more efficiently and effectively to increase certainty. Continued effort is needed to coordinate environmental assessment with permitting and tenuring processes.

Provincial Fiscal Goals — The provincial government is committed to sound fiscal management, and is reducing its costs and programming responsibilities as part of its overall strategy to balance the budget. Major projects may entail large commitments of government’s administrative and technical resources at a time when internal government financial and human resources are being reduced. Additional resources will likely be required to conduct special procedures, such as public hearings. Innovative approaches and procedural adjustments will be required to adapt to current fiscal and resource constraints, and to accommodate future changes in the government’s corporate strategic direction.

Highlights of Changes from the Previous Plan

A new Environmental Assessment Act has been enacted to comply with the direction received from the Government of British Columbia in late 2001, following completion of the Core Services Review. The primary objective of the new legislation, which came into force on December 30, 2002, is to provide greater flexibility to customize review procedures on a project-by-project basis. The increased flexibility is intended to contribute to the government’s strategic priorities for an improved investment climate while preserving high environmental standards. Additional objectives of the legislative reform are clearer process management accountabilities, increased procedural choice, greater certainty and credibility for proponents, reduced agency workloads and government program delivery costs, and improved federal/provincial harmonization.

The Environmental Assessment Office’s three-year Service Plan has been updated to reflect the legislative reform of the past twelve months. In addition to the development of new legislation, other reform activities have included:

• the development of supporting regulations and operational procedures;
• the development of a new Guide to the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Process, including guidelines for public and First Nations consultation and for environmental management planning;
• the development and implementation of a new organizational plan and structure (see Appendix A);
• the development and implementation of an electronic Project Information Centre; and
• the completion of an interim extension to the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on Environmental Assessment Cooperation.

Key strategic elements (vision, mission, and organizational principles and values), core business areas, and goals of the organization remain unchanged. Objectives, operational strategies and measures of performance have been refined to better express the desired results of significant strategic shifts and organizational adjustments. Performance targets have been confirmed, and in some cases adjusted upwards to be more in line with past performance and to better guide and challenge the continual improvement of both the organization and the environmental assessment process. Specific changes to measures and targets are specified in footnotes (see Objectives, Strategies, Performance Measures and Targets).