On August 3, 2023 the Alberta Utilities Commission (“AUC”), the regulatory body responsible for approving power projects in Alberta, announced a pause on all approvals of power plants and hydro-electric developments that produced greater than one megawatt of renewable electricity. The Alberta government stated that the pause was needed to ensure an affordable and ...
Bill C-69 received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 but did not come into force at that time. The Governor in Council has now ordered that the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”) and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (“CERA”) will come into force on August 28, 2019, concurrent with the repeal of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and the National Energy Board Act. Most of the amendments to the Navigation Protection Act (now to be called the Canadian Navigable Waters Act) will also come into force on August 28, 2019.
As a result, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will transition to the Impact Assessment Agency, and the National Energy Board will transition to the Canadian Energy Regulator.
Certain related regulations will also come into effect on August 28, 2019, including the Physical Activities Regulations (the new Project List) and the Information and Management of Time Limits Regulations, both under the Impact Assessment Act. These regulations are scheduled to be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on August 21, 2019, but in the meantime unofficial copies may be found at the following links:
- Physical Activities Regulations (unofficial)
- Information and Management of Time Limits Regulations (unofficial)
Stay tuned or subscribe to our Project Law Blog for more information on the regulations and the implementation of these changes.
On June 21, 2019 Bill C-69 received Royal Assent. However the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”), which will replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, is not yet in force. It will be brought into force on a date to be set by order of the Governor in Council. Similarly, a replacement of British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act (“BC EAA” ...
Bill C-69, which includes the proposed Impact Assessment Act (the “Act”) is currently in the second reading of the Senate. In February, 2018, the Government of Canada released the Consultation Paper on Information Requirements and Time Management Regulations and sought comments from the public on the proposed components of the Regulations. Based on the comments and ...
While the proposed Impact Assessment Act (the “IAA”) in Bill C-69 is under review and possible amendment by the Senate, the federal government is seeking public comments this month on a new Discussion Paper on the proposed Project List regulation. The Project List sets out criteria that, if met, make a project subject to the federal assessment process. This post ...
In a case that pitted the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) against Alberta’s constitutional rights to legislate in relation to property and civil rights in the Province, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in Orphan Well Association v Grant Thornton Limited (Redwater) has determined that the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has been and continues to act lawfully ...
On November 5, 2018, the British Columbia (BC) government introduced Bill 51 – 2018 Environmental Assessment Act (Bill-51), its proposal to reform British Columbia’s environmental assessment (EA) process for resource projects.
Bill 51, if passed, will introduce some significant changes to the EA process in BC. In particular, Bill 51 creates a new early engagement ...
In our previous Project Law blog post, we discussed the triggers for project Impact Assessment, as well as the transition provisions for existing projects, and provisions to substitute assessment processes run by other jurisdictions. The deadline to provide the Government of Canada with comments on the approach to revising the Project List and the Consultation Paper on ...
Among the extensive changes to the Canadian environmental legislation introduced through Bill C-69, the Federal Government will also amend the current Navigation Protection Act and rename it the Canadian Navigable Waters Act ("CNWA"). Key changes to the navigable waters regime include:
- A comprehensive statutory definition of 'navigable water' that broadens the ...
On February 6, 2018, the federal government introduced Bill C-68, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act and other Acts in consequence. Bill C-68 is part of an overhaul of environmental legislation, as promised by the federal Liberal Party as part of its election platform.
In November 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published mandate letters to his cabinet ministers ...
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Lawson Lundell's Environmental, Indigenous and Natural Resources Blog focuses on environmental, indigenous and natural resources law, as well as related litigation. Included are summaries of significant cases from Canadian appellate courts, changes in the legal framework governing resource development including energy and climate change policy, and key decisions from the more influential regulatory bodies in Canada.
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