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Nova Scotia’s changes to the environmental assessment process get mixed reviews
The phrase “the devil is the details” kept springing to mind as reporters questioned the minister and senior staff in his department about how the “modernized” process would work in practice.
Could a company that proposes to develop onshore natural gas by fracking get approval within two months?
Answer: yes, although it’s unclear whether the minister would approve the project if representatives of the Mi’kmaw First Nation opposed it.
Karen McKendry said the “modernized” process missed an opportunity to improve transparency by requiring the Environment minister to provide a short explanation for approving or rejecting a project.
Both British Columbia and the federal government include that requirement in their environmental assessment processes and McKendry argues without it, the public is left with “a black box” wondering if the minister’s decision was “a scientific or political one.” In this province, advice given to a minister by staff is considered privileged information, which is exempt from Freedom of Information requests. |Read more|