Environmental Assessment Office Role
and Services

Environmental Assessment Office

Overview

The Environmental Assessment Office leads reviews of proposed large-scale projects in British Columbia. Environmental assessment is a process for identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating potentially significant adverse impacts of major projects. The process examines a broad range of possible effects — environmental, economic, social, health and 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;
• avoiding 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, Mission and Principles

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 guided by the following principles:

1. Neutrality — Neutrally and centrally administered process.
2. Fairness — Fair and open process.
3. Balance — Decisions are based on impartial, balanced and informed recommendations.
4. Science-based decision-making — Best available information, knowledge and technologies are considered and utilized.
5. Consultative — Participatory and transparent, ensuring meaningful opportunities for public and First Nations input.
6. Inter-jurisdictional coordination — Streamlined process minimizing duplication and overlap.

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;
• a healthy workplace supporting staff development, recognition, and opportunity; and
• accountability to the people of British Columbia.

Environmental Assessment Office Operating Context

Overview — The number of reviewable projects has more than doubled compared to levels expected when the Service Plan and budget were first developed in 2001. The new Act and reforms to streamline the environmental assessment process are providing greater process efficiencies for the Environmental Assessment Office and other provincial agencies to partially compensate for this increasing workload. These reforms are also ensuring that British Columbia maintains a fair and balanced process that is competitive with other jurisdictions.

The improvements to British Columbia's environmental assessment process have resulted in five projects "opting-in" to the process. Other factors contributing to the number of new projects that entered the environmental assessment process last year include:

• Provincial Energy Plan — The release of the new provincial energy plan resulted in two new "Wind Farm" projects entering the environmental assessment process in fiscal year 03/04.
• Mining Sector Development — Increasing metal and coal prices have resulted in increased investment in mining in the province. There are six mining projects active in the environmental assessment process and a number expressing interest in entering the process.
• Provincial Infrastructure Development — Four major public/private partnership projects were in either the pre-application or application stage in 03/04: the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, the rapid transit link between downtown Vancouver and the airport (RAV), the Sea to Sky Highway improvements, and the New Fraser River Crossing Project.

Federal Government's Role — More than 80 per cent of projects subject to the provincial environmental assessment process must also satisfy federal environmental assessment requirements. As a result of court decisions, new initiatives and the evolution of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), the federal government continues to modify and in some cases enlarge its interpretation of federal jurisdiction. Some of the amendments to CEAA that came into effect in the fall of 2003 have resulted in further challenges for the province in coordinating harmonized reviews and meeting provincially legislated timelines. Other amendments to CEAA will improve the ability to harmonize joint reviews. The Environmental Assessment Office is monitoring the changes to CEAA while continuing to refine operating procedures with the federal government to ensure harmonized federal/provincial reviews proceed in a smooth and timely manner.

In March 2004, the governments of Canada and British Columbia approved the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on Environmental Assessment Cooperation (2004) with improvements to facilitate agreement on project-specific timelines and the introduction of more effective management of federal participation.

First Nations — Proponents, as well as the federal and provincial governments, worked with First Nations on issues related to individual projects as well as larger economic and resource issues. Specific initiatives relating to First Nations are discussed under the "Performance Reporting" section.

Environmental Assessment Office Structure and Core Business Areas

The core functions of the Environmental Assessment Office form the basis for fulfilling its mandated responsibilities. These core functions are delivered through two business areas:

Major Project Environmental Assessments

The Environmental Assessment Office oversees and manages the province's major project environmental review process to assess environmental, economic, social and other aspects of proposed projects in the following sectors: industrial, mining, energy, water management (dams, dykes, and reservoirs), waste disposal, food processing, transportation and tourism (destination resorts).

Corporate Operations

Many of the Environmental Assessment Office's corporate services are shared with the Ministries of Sustainable Resource Management and Water, Land and Air Protection. Corporate operations that are the responsibility of the Environmental Assessment Office include service planning, budgeting, staff development, policy and legislation, records management, and management of the electronic Project Information Centre and website.

Update on New Era Commitments

The Environmental Assessment Office Service Plan 2003/04 to 2005/06 supports the Government of British Columbia's long-term goals of:

• a strong and vibrant provincial economy; and
• safe, healthy communities and a sustainable environment.

The Environmental Assessment Office's principles and organizational values support the government's core values. The goals, objectives, and strategies of the Environmental Assessment Office reflect government's commitment to operate in an innovative, results-oriented, and accountable manner consistent with the following managerial principles:

• high standards of accountability, consultation and ethics;
• focused and efficient delivery of government services;
• social and fiscal responsibility;
• open and transparent government; and
• an innovative and goal-oriented public service.

While no New Era commitments refer specifically to environmental assessment, or the Environmental Assessment Office, the environmental assessment process contributes to the achievement of government commitments for:

• a thriving private sector economy and enhanced competitive business climate;
• cutting red tape and providing faster approvals and greater access to Crown land and resources;
• effective and sustainable use of provincial land and resources;
• a scientifically-based, balanced and principled approach to environmental management;
• protecting human health;
• eliminating federal/provincial overlaps that increase costs, and frustrate economic development;
• improving the regulatory regime and reducing the number of regulations by one-third within three years;
• increased focus on customer service and leadership in electronic government; and
• open and accountable government.