Interim Guidance: Health Impact Assessment of Designated Projects under the Impact Assessment Act

Under the Impact Assessment Act, impact assessments (IAs) of proposed resource and infrastructure development projects designated under the associated regulations are required to consider the environmental effects, as well as the broader social, economic and health implications, both positive and negative, of project-related components and activities. As a result, IAs are expected to study health effects as they relate to environmental, social, and economic conditions, and their interactions.

This interim guidance document has been prepared to support the use of established health impact assessment (HIA) methods for the assessment of health effects. HIA is a systematic, objective, and specialized process that can be used to assess the potentially positive and adverse effects of a designated project on well-being and health. It also highlights ways to maximize positive effects and minimize adverse effects on health. HIA covers not only the overall health effects of projects but also how health effects may differ across subpopulations, with a particular focus on equity and those groups of people who are considered to be vulnerable based on socioeconomic status and other factors that reflect social disadvantage.

The interim guidance presents guiding principles, basic concepts, and tools on key steps of the HIA process for the use of audiences with a role in IA, including, but not limited to project proponents and their HIA consultants, other HIA practitioners, Indigenous representatives, and other partners or stakeholders. Targeted guidance for HIA practitioners on how to conduct each step based on a review of HIA definitions, practice, published guidance, and peer-reviewed literature is also offered. The Appendices provide a number of checklists to help illustrate the HIA process.