Roles, Expertise and Typical Projects

Environment Canada's Role as a Responsible Authority

Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, for projects where Environment Canada plays a role that ‘triggers’ an environmental assessment, it has a decision making responsibility to conduct an environmental assessment.  This role is referred to as a Responsible Authority and is triggered when Environment Canada:

  • is a proponent of a project.  Examples include undertaking work on hydrometric stations, and installing new climate stations;
  • provides funding in support of a project through its funding programs, such as EcoAction.  Examples include providing funding for initiatives to establish composting facilities, artificial wetlands, waste oil storage facilities, trails and boardwalks;
  • allows the lease, sale or transfer of lands belonging to the Department so as to allow a project to proceed.  Examples include projects located on  National Wildlife Areas and on National Bird Sanctuaries;
  • provides an approval or permit in relation to a project.  Examples include administering permits for disposal at sea, disturbance of vegetation and soil in a National Wildlife Area, as well as for collection of eiderdown, and other activities controlled by the Department under provisions described in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act's Law List Regulations.

Environment Canada's Role as a Federal Authority

Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Environment Canada is required to provide its expert knowledge to other federal organizations conducting environmental assessments to assist them in anticipating, preventing, or mitigating environmental effects of a project.  This role is referred to as a Federal Authority and for Environment Canada it also involves promoting environmental policies and programs of the Department and federal government.

Most of Environment Canada’s involvement in the environmental assessment process is as a Federal Authority.

Information on Environment Canada’s environmental assessments is available at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Registry where all federal environmental assessments are catalogued.  The registry provides basic project details.  Additional information may be obtained by consulting the contacts listed for each project.

Scientific Expertise and Advice

Environment Canada provides scientific expertise and advice not only to federal departments and agencies, but also to provincial, territorial, municipal, and aboriginal governments to support their environmental assessments. 

The expertise Environment Canada brings to the environmental assessment process stems from its broad environmental mandate, which is determined by the statutes and regulations assigned to it by Parliament through the Minister of Environment. The Department's expertise and advice are with respect to the preservation and enhancement of the environment, and relate to:

  • Conservation and protection of migratory birds and their habitat
  • Prevention of releases or deposits of potentially deleterious substances into waters frequented by fish
  • Management of toxic substances
  • Environmental quality objectives, guidelines and codes of practice
  • Pollution prevention
  • Preservation of species at risk as designated by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)
  • Management of National Wildlife Areas
  • Conservation of Canada's wetlands
  • Conservation of Canada's biodiversity
  • Promotion of sustainable development
  • Trans-boundary water management
  • Conservation and protection of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem
  • Protection of air quality from contaminants and greenhouse gases
  • Implications of climate change
  • Information on meteorology (including severe weather events)
  • Collection of environmental data

Typical Projects

Environment Canada provides environmental assessment advice for a variety of projects, including:

Electricity and Combustion Projects

  • Hydroelectric
  • Nuclear facilities
  • Wind and Solar Power
  • Transmission
  • Fossil Fuels, Biofuels and Synthetic Fuel

Mining and Processing Operations

  • Metal, Mineral, Diamond, Potash, and Coal Mines
  • Processing Sector (Iron, Steel, Base metal smelting, Cement, Lime, etc.)

Oil Sands and Refineries

  • Open Pit
  • Upgraders
  • Refineries

Pipelines and Upstream Oil and Gas

  • Onshore/Offshore Upstream Oil and Gas
  • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
  • Pipelines (Crude oil, Natural gas, Carbon dioxide, etc.)

Transportation

  • Highways and Roads (including bridges and tunnels)
  • Transit (including buses, streetcars, above/belowground light rail)
  • Rail (including freight, commercial and commuter rail)
  • Air (including airports and airstrips)
  • Marine (including marine terminals, marine navigation infrastructure and maintenance dredging

Municipal, Waste Water and Green Infrastructure

Contaminated Sites and Site Remediation

Forestry, Agriculture and Aquaculture