Responsible development
Part of managing the rush of natural resource development coming to the Northwest involves understanding and dealing with long-term consequences. One component of that is reducing impacts to our clean water, wild salmon and globally significant wildlife populations.
One tool the provincial government has is the Environmental Assessment Office. The EAO is mandated through legislation to review project proposals by applicants. When the EAO approves a project it is with conditions – called mitigating measures – to limit environmental damage. It is essential that we have trust in this process so we can live with and manage the consequences of industrial development.
That trust was rocked to the core with the recent release of a report by BC’s Auditor General. The primary focus of John Doyle’s investigation was how good a job they are doing in monitoring and enforcing construction, operation and decommissioning activities. The independent officer of the legislature found that the EAO is not providing sufficient oversight, is not evaluating the effectiveness of mitigating measures they recommend, and is not providing appropriate accountability to the public.
This does not instill confidence nor does it bode well for responsible development in the future. Shortly after this provincial government came to power, the environmental assessment legislation was gutted. In addition, the ‘boots on the ground’ capacity for monitoring has been severely curtailed by years of cutbacks, to the point that agencies like the Mining Association of BC say the cuts have gone too far.
This government also implemented ‘self-reporting’, where a company reports on how well they are doing in following the conditions the EAO sets. Self-reporting without oversight is not working, said the Auditor General. He added that the EAO does not formally track or pursue complaints about impacts projects are having on the environment – for example, from citizens who are on the land on a daily basis.
If we are to fully benefit from the proposed development here at home, environmental assessment and monitoring functions will need reworking.