Science in Environmental Impact Assessment 

Summary

Impact assessment is a process by which proposed major projects, policies, and programs are evaluated for their potential environmental, social, and health impacts before they are approved. In Canada, these laws have been hotly debated, and many argue that these laws do not sufficiently take into account risks to the environment and communities. Parties across the social spectrum agree on one thing: that impact assessment laws should be based on strong science. 

When Canada was developing the Impact Assessment Act (2019), the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative led an initiative bring together experts to make recommendations and testify to Parliament and Senate (see the full timeline from Dr. Aerin Jacob) and publish papers and reports detailing a strong scientific basis for environmental assessment legislation and policy. Based on public submission to the IAA development process, we also found support for our defined five principles of strong science in impact assessment (Open information, Robust cumulative effects assessment, Scientific rigour, Justified decision-making, and Independent review) across all sectors of society, including Indigenous organizations, industry, government, NGOs, and the public.

Since federal impact assessment decisions are now based on a public interest test, ongoing work led by Dr. Jennifer Winter at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is investigating what this might mean and how this test is used in other laws and policies. This work is published as a report as part of the SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grants Evidence Briefs. 

In addition, Dr. Westwood works with students in the graduate-level Environmental Assessment course at Dalhousie University to provide input on impact assessment processes, such as the one for Valentine Gold mine in Newfoundland, the Beaver Dam gold mine in Nova Scotia, and the James Bay Lithium Mine in Québec. 

As part of Nova Scotia’s impact assessment modernization process, Dr. Westwood and the School for Resource and Environmental Studies led a letter with four coauthors and 10 expert signatories outlining recommendations to update provincial impact assessment regulations to be in line with best practices for evidence-based decision-making.