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On occasion, a community government may have concerns about a proposed resource development project. This section summarizes the environmental assessment process established by the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
The purpose of an environmental assessment is to consider the potential impacts of a project before decisions are made to proceed. This ensures that any negative effects arising from the project can be avoided or minimized.
Before a proposed development project, such as an oil well, mine or hydro-electric facility, can be built, the developer (or project proponent) must usually apply for licenses, permits and authorizations. In the application, the developer must demonstrate that the proposed project:
• will not cause a significant negative impact on the environment or on the economic, cultural and social well-being of NWT residents; and,
• will not cause public concern.
There are three stages that a project may have to go through to determine if negative impacts or public concern will exist:
Stage 1: Preliminary Screening Preliminary screening is a quick review of a proposed project. A land and water board or other regulating authority runs this type of review and usually seeks comments from interested or affected groups to help it reach a decision. If no significant potential impacts or public concerns are found, the project proceeds to the regulator to obtain permits and licenses. If it is determined that there may be significant potential impacts or public concerns as a result of the project, it is referred to the second stage of review.
Stage 2: Environmental Assessment The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) is responsible for conducting environmental assessments. Only about 5 per cent of all projects that go through preliminary screening are referred to environmental assessment. At this stage, a project goes through a much more thorough review, which can often last for months or even years. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, MVEIRB can decide to recommend (to the federal minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) that:
• a project can proceed to regulatory permitting and licensing, either with no changes or subject to some conditions; or • the project should be rejected; or, • the project proceed to the environmental impact review stage for further evaluation.
Stage 3: Environmental Impact Review Very few projects proceed to this stage. This type of review is very in-depth and is conducted by an independent panel appointed by MVEIRB. The purpose of an environmental impact review is to enable a more focused examination of the issues raised during the environmental assessment stage.
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