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Environmental Assessment under CEAA
Transport Canada conducts Environmental Assessments (EAs) for proposed projects in accordance with the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and other federal EA processes in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut
and Yukon. Environmental Affairs staff work with the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) and other departments to
ensure the appropriate application of CEAA and the northern EA processes to projects involving Transport Canada or its lands, and provide guidance and training to departmental staff on EA
requirements.
Information regarding projects assessed by Transport Canada can be found in the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Registry, a master list of environmental assessments carried out by federal departments and agencies
pursuant to CEAA. There you will find basic information about the assessments and contacts for further
information.
Industry representatives and other private sector professionals who are planning transportation projects that may be subject to CEAA are encouraged to consult the
Primer for Industry developed by the Agency.
Proponents for whom their project may
require an environmental assessment are also encouraged to consult our
Transport Canada Proponent’s Guide to Environmental
Assessment Pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
For further information on Transport Canada’s EA programs, send an e-mail to
env@tc.gc.ca.
Recent TC Publications
Environmental Assessment Annual Report 2000
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a systematic process
of evaluating the environmental effects of a proposed policy, plan, program, or
other strategic-level initiatives.
SEA contributes to decision-making by informing managers,
ministers and Cabinet about:
-
the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposal,
and
-
the means to optimize the positive effects and reduce or avoid
the negative ones.
SEA allows decision makers to contribute to the department’s
sustainable development objectives by integrating environmental considerations
at the earliest possible stage in the development and analysis of policy, plan
and program initiatives.
The requirement to undertake Strategic Environmental Assessments is stated in
the Cabinet Directive
on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (Cabinet
Directive).
Strategic Environmental Assessment process at Transport Canada
The concept of SEA, and the department’s approach to it, are
outlined in the
March 2001 Strategic Environmental Assessment at Transport Canada Policy
Statement (SEA Policy Statement).
In accordance with the Cabinet Directive and the SEA Policy Statement, all
proposals submitted to an individual Minister or Cabinet for approval must go
through the Transport Canada Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process,
which includes a Preliminary Scan and, if required, a SEA in the form of
a Detailed Analysis.
Completing the TC Preliminary Scan
template is the first step in conducting the SEA process and will determine
if important environmental effects are likely. The Scan will also examine if the
proposal is likely to lead to one or more projects that would be assessed under
the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) or another process. If the Scan
determines that no important environmental impacts are expected from the
proposal, the SEA process is considered complete.
If important environmental effects have been identified in the Preliminary Scan,
a Detailed Analysis is to be undertaken. The Cabinet Directive states
that a Detailed Analysis is required when the implementation of a
proposal, submitted to an individual Minister or Cabinet for approval, may
result in important environmental effects, either positive or negative.
As of January 1, 2004, the Cabinet Directive requires federal departments and
agencies to prepare a
public statement
of environmental effects when a Detailed Analysis has been conducted. The
public statement shall be made at the time that the policy, plan or program is
announced, outlining the results of the SEA.
Transport Canada’s Public Statements
Since January 1st, 2004, two proposals requiring a Detailed
Analysis have been undertaken. The links to the public statements regarding
the results of these detailed analyses are below:
For further information on Transport Canada’s SEA program,
please send an e-mail to env@tc.gc.ca.
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