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PodcastingEnvironmental Assessment and Approvals Branch
Ministry of the Environment - MOE
Last Verified:
2008-02-21
Act: Environmental Assessment Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, Environmental Protection Act, Pesticides Act, and the Environmental Bill of Rights.
To Whom Does This Apply?
The Environmental Assessment Act applies to all public
sector projects and some types of private sector waste management projects.
Other private sector projects may be subject to this Act when designated by the provincial government.
The Ontario Water Resources Act and Environmental Protection Act
include requirements for permits and approvals. These must be obtained for a wide range of activities or equipment which emit or discharge pollutants to the air or water. A range of waste management activities and equipment also require approvals under the Environmental Protection Act.
The Pesticide Act includes permit and licensing requirements for the sale and use of pesticides.
Eligible Area
Province of Ontario
Summary
As part of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch provides "one-window" service for regulatory environmental approvals for the province. The branch is committed to effective environmental protection, excellent customer service and efficient ways of doing business in the delivery of these approvals programs.
The branch includes customer service, program development, engineering and specialized technical expertise. Within the branch dedicated staff are available to answer all enquiries regarding programs from the public and the regulated community. Advice and technical guidance on the requirements for specific applications is also available.
All applications submitted are first reviewed for completeness and then forwarded to specialized technical staff to ensure the applicant's proposal will meet Ontario's environmental protection standards. Part of the evaluation process includes an opportunity for public participation in the decision making process. The Environmental Bill of Rights sets out rules for different types of applications and explains how Ontario residents may provide comments on the proposal. If the proposal meets the Ministry's standards and the public’s environmental concerns are addressed appropriately, the evaluation process results in an approval, permit, licence or environmental assessment decision. Applicants will receive a legally binding instrument at this stage, which generally includes specific requirements to ensure that the ongoing operations from the proposal will not result in harmful impacts to the natural environment.
This document is based on information from the Ministry of the Environment's Environmental Assessment Activities - General Information web site (last updated May , 2007)
DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.
Ontario Contact(s):
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Floor 12A
2 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1L5
Telephone: 416-314-8001
Fax: 416-314-7271
Toll-free (information): 1-800-461-6290