Responsible Resource Development will strengthen Canada’s world-class environmental standards through effective new measures that focus resources where they matter most.
Responsible Resource Development will:
- Focus assessments on the major projects that have a greater potential for significant adverse environmental effects;
- Introduce enforceable environmental assessment decision statements to ensure proponents of resource projects comply with required mitigation measures to protect the environment;
- Provide federal inspectors with authority to examine whether or not conditions of a decision statement are being met;
- Authorize the use of administrative monetary penalties for violations of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and the National Energy Board Act;
- Provide for enforceable conditions in Fisheries Act authorizations;
- Improve compliance and environmental protection for major projects by allowing for longer term authorizations with enforceable conditions under the Species at Risk Act;
- Provide new funding to enhance pipeline and marine safety including new regulations to strengthen the tanker safety regime and increasing the number of inspections for oil gas pipelines;
- In cooperation with provincial governments, allow for greater use of regional environmental assessments to identify and address potential regional and cumulative effects, particularly in areas experiencing large-scale developments; and
- Harmonize the enforcement provisions of the Fisheries Act with those found in the Environmental Enforcement Act.
In addition, through Economic Action Plan 2012, the budget of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency was increased to carry out more thorough and timely environmental assessments.
Responsible Resource Development achieves the right balance to unleash the potential of our resource sectors to create high-value jobs across Canada while strengthening safety and environmental protection.