Ministerial Order to Support New Impact Assessment System

From: Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Public Notice

September 18, 2019 – On August 30, 2019, the Minister of the Environment issued the Order Designating Classes of Projects (Ministerial Order) under section 88 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA).

For the reasons set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS), the Minister is of the opinion that the carrying out of projects that are part of a class of projects designated in the Ministerial Order will cause only insignificant adverse environmental effects. The RIAS also includes a description of the classes of projects designated in the Ministerial Order.

Authorities will not be subject to sections 82 and 83 of the IAA in respect of a project that is part of a class of projects designated in the Ministerial Order. The Ministerial Order applies only to non-designated projects that would not require an impact assessment (i.e., projects that are not included in the Physical Activities Regulations, also known as the Project List, or designated under section 9 of the IAA).