Strategic Context

The continued strong performance of the provincial economy, as well as increasing demand for energy and mineral 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 energy, mining, and infrastructure projects entering the assessment process. With economic growth projections above 3 per cent for the next three years, this trend is expected to continue. Projects in or entering the process are forecast to remain significantly above those anticipated when the first Service Plan was developed in 2001.

Energy project proposals, especially from independent power producers who are helping to meet the province's emerging electricity supply gap by 2010, and mining project proposals represent the majority of projects in the process and will use the bulk of the EAO's resources. The energy projects represent a wide diversity of energy resources (wind, hydro, biomass) in the province and the mix enables the province to acquire 50 per cent of its needs from clean sources. At the same time, project proposals for new mines primarily in the northwest and northeast continue to enter the environmental assessment process at an unprecedented rate.

When conducting assessments and preparing recommendations to government on applications for environmental assessment certificates, the EAO is guided by the evolving case law related to the obligations of the Crown. This means ensuring that government's consultation and accommodation obligations to First Nations have been met.

The EAO continues to work with other government bodies, including federal government agencies and proponents 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 reduce overlap and duplication. EAO coordination of federal and provincial reviews, using legislated provincial timelines, has encouraged some proponents of projects that do not automatically require a provincial environmental assessment to request reviews under the EAO process.

As a demand-driven program, the EAO has experienced continued budget pressures as it attempts to respond to an increasing number of reviewable projects and increased review complexities. The EAO's key challenge is providing environmental assessments within legislated timelines and with available resources.