Environmental Assessment Office — Continued
Purpose, Vision, Mission and Values
Purpose
The provincial government created the Environmental Assessment Office in 1995 to coordinate the assessment of proposed major projects in British Columbia under the former Environmental Assessment Act and preserved this role for the Environmental Assessment Office when government proclaimed the new Environmental Assessment Act in December 2002.
Environmental assessment in the provincial context examines the potential for adverse environmental, economic, social, health and heritage effects from the construction, operation and, where required, decommissioning stage of a project. For any project requiring an environmental assessment certificate, the proponent must complete an environmental assessment and receive a certificate before ministries can issue approvals for the project under other provincial enactments.
There are three ways a project can be designated reviewable under the Environmental Assessment Act. The Reviewable Projects Regulation (B.C. Reg. 370/2002) sets size thresholds for projects in the industrial, mining, energy, water management (dams, dykes, and reservoirs), waste disposal, food processing, transportation and tourism (destination resorts) sectors. In 2005/06, seventeen new projects entered the environmental assessment process because they equaled or exceeded thresholds in the regulation. If a project is not automatically reviewable by regulation, a proponent may request the Environmental Assessment Office to designate the project reviewable. In 2005/06, the Environmental Assessment Office designated two projects reviewable after requests from the respective proponents. If a project is not automatically reviewable, and a proponent does not request to enter the environmental assessment process, the Minister may still order an assessment if convinced the project has potential for significant adverse effects and the designation is in the public interest. All projects under review in 2005/06 were either reviewable by regulation or designated reviewable at the request of the proponent.
During an assessment, the Environmental Assessment Office obtains valuable advice on technical and policy considerations within their respective mandates from ministries such as Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Small Business and Revenue and Ministry of Environment.
The Environmental Assessment Act provides for:
- all interested parties, government agencies and First Nations to provide input and identify issues;
- consultations with First Nations to address, and where appropriate accommodate, potential effects on established and asserted Aboriginal rights and title;
- technical studies to identify any potentially adverse environmental, social, economic, heritage or health effects of a proposed project;
- the creation of strategies and measures to avoid, prevent or mitigate potential adverse effects;
- thorough reporting of findings and recommendations on whether to issue an environmental assessment certificate for a project; and
- assigning conditions and follow-up or compliance reporting requirements to a proponent in an environmental assessment certificate.
Proponents are accountable to provide information on their projects and to minimize project impacts. Issues or concerns identified by provincial, federal and local governments, First Nations and the public may trigger modifications or changes to a project as it moves through the environmental assessment process.
Projects subject to the Environmental Assessment Act may also be reviewable under the federal Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. To minimize duplication and overlap, Canada and British Columbia agreed in the Canada/British Columbia Agreement on Environmental Assessment Cooperation(2004) to coordinate information requirements, use provincial time limits and issue a joint assessment report wherever possible, while retaining their respective decision-making powers.
Vision, Mission and Values
The following vision, mission and values replace those presented in the September 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update and are taken from the February 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan.
Vision
Environmentally and socially responsible development that contributes to a strong and vibrant economy in British Columbia.
Mission
The Environmental Assessment Office delivers a timely and integrated process for assessing the environmental, social, heritage, economic and health effects, and potential impacts to First Nations' claims to Aboriginal rights and title, of major projects in British Columbia, reports the findings of environmental assessment reviews to government and may make recommendations regarding project certification.
Values
The Environmental Assessment Office respects First Nations and all stakeholders in the environmental assessment process through a principle-based approach that is neutral, fair, balanced and open. The Environmental Assessment Office relies on science and results-based standards wherever possible, encourages innovation, creativity and values:
- Cooperation and teamwork
- Respect for the opinions of others
- Honesty and integrity
- Service excellence
- A healthy workplace
- Accountability to the people of British Columbia
Principles
The Environmental Assessment Office is guided by the following principles:
- Neutrality — Neutrally and centrally administered process.
- Fairness — Fair and open process.
- Balance — Decisions are based on impartial, balanced and informed recommendations.
- Science-informed decision-making — Best available information, knowledge and technologies are considered and utilized.
- Consultative — Participatory and transparent, ensuring meaningful opportunities for First Nations and public input.
- Inter-jurisdictional coordination — Streamlined process minimizing duplication and overlap.
