Strategic Context

The continued strong performance of the provincial economy, as well as increasing demand for energy resources from Asia and the United States, has significant effects on the workload of the EAO. Over the past two years, the EAO has experienced an unprecedented number of mining, energy and infrastructure projects entering the assessment process. With economic growth projections above 3.0 per cent for the next three years,⁵ this trend is expected to continue. Projects in or entering the process are forecast to remain at levels well above those anticipated when the first service plan was developed in 2001.

Project proposals for new mines in the north represent the majority of projects in the process and will use the bulk of the EAO’s resources. At the same time, advances in new energy technologies (such as wind power, run-of-the-river hydro power generation projects, and Liquid Natural Gas tanker imports) are being driven by public demands for green energy sources and alternatives to the high cost of oil.

When conducting assessments and preparing recommendations to government on applications for environmental assessment certificates, the EAO must be responsive to the evolving legal requirements related to Aboriginal rights and title claims to Crown land and resources. The EAO must ensure that government’s obligation to consult and, where indicated, accommodate First Nations has been adequately discharged before recommendations are made. The EAO works with First Nations to facilitate their involvement in project reviews to ensure that potential impacts on established and asserted rights and title are identified and addressed through meaningful consultation and, where appropriate, accommodated. Government’s commitment to establish a new relationship with First Nations presents an opportunity to enhance First Nations participation in the assessment process.

The EAO continues to work with other government bodies, including federal government agencies and EAO clients to improve upon the environmental assessment process. The Act’s legislated timeframes for completing project reviews have improved the predictability of the process. Continued efforts to harmonize federal and provincial assessment processes also help improve the process. EAO coordination of federal and provincial reviews, using legislated provincial timelines, has encouraged proponents of projects that do not automatically require a provincial environmental assessment to request reviews under the EAO process. These successes have also contributed to increasing project volumes.

As a demand-driven program, the EAO has experienced continued budget pressures as it attempts to cope with an increasing number of reviewable projects and increased review complexities. The specialized knowledge and skills required to manage environmental assessments are in short supply, and the ability to ramp up and down to meet demand is challenging. Since 2005/06, the EAO has made efforts to use contracted resources when practical to do so, but the ability to use contracted resources is limited.

In a climate of increasing project complexity and First Nations consultation requirements, the EAO’s key strategic issue is to meet changes in demand for environmental assessments within legislated timelines and with available resources.

5	B.C. Ministry of Finance, 2005 Budget Update Report.