Environmental impact assessment guidelines, March 2004
Dates
Year
2004
Citation
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board,, 2004, Environmental impact assessment guidelines, March 2004: .
Summary
Introduction - 1.1 Preamble: The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act (MVRMA or Act) delivers commitments from land claim agreements. It does this, in part, by establishing boards that give Aboriginal peoples a greater role in making decisions about environmental protection and resource management in the Mackenzie Valley. One of these organizations is the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (Review Board). The Review Board has produced these Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment in the Mackenzie Valley (referred to here as the Guidelines), according to s.120 of the MVRMA. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a process which examines the potential impacts of proposed developments to promote sustainability [...]
Summary
Introduction - 1.1 Preamble: The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act (MVRMA or Act) delivers commitments from land claim agreements. It does this, in part, by establishing boards that give Aboriginal peoples a greater role in making decisions about environmental protection and resource management in the Mackenzie Valley. One of these organizations is the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (Review Board). The Review Board has produced these Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment in the Mackenzie Valley (referred to here as the Guidelines), according to s.120 of the MVRMA. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a process which examines the potential impacts of proposed developments to promote sustainability and avoid costly mistakes. Through EIA, it is possible to anticipate and avoid environmental problems, rather than reacting and fixing them after they occur. The EIA process contributes to good decisions about the conservation, development and use of land and water resources for the optimum benefit of the residents of the settlement areas, the Mackenzie Valley and Canada. This document provides guidance for the three parts of the EIA process. These are: Preliminary Screening; Environmental Assessment; and, Environmental Impact Review. This EIA system, established in law and delivered by the MVRMA, was agreed to in land claim settlements in the Mackenzie Valley. The Mackenzie Valley includes unsettled claim areas in the NWT. The Review Board's operational processes were developed based on legal principles, EIA best practices, ongoing consultation, practical experience in the implementation of the MVRMA since its proclamation in 1998, and common sense. These Guidelines are also designed to ensure that any processes are fair, with an open and public process. The procedures for the management, conduct and completion of EIA in the Mackenzie Valley are described in these Guidelines. 1.2 About these guidelines: These Guidelines are primarily intended for those responsible for implementing parts of the EIA processes and for those planning to undertake a development on land or water in the Mackenzie Valley. Specifically, the MVRMA and these Guidelines apply to regulatory authorities (such as the Land and Water Boards), the National Energy Board (the designated regulatory agency), government departments and agencies, Gwich'in Tribal Council, Sahtu Secretariat Inc., local governments and developers. They may also be used as a reference for communities, First Nations and the public at large. Where conflict occurs between these Guidelines and the Act, the Act applies. ... 1.3 Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act: ... The Mackenzie Valley covers most of the NWT. The Mackenzie Valley is commonly divided into five regions, the Gwich'in, Sahtu, Tlicho, Deh Cho, Akaitcho and South Slave regions. Of those, the Gwich'in and the Sahtu have settled land claims .... These latter two are referred to here as settlement areas. The MVRMA implements a system for land and water management laid out in the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement and the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. Both agreements take precedence where a conflict between the Act and the Agreement exists. The Land Claim Agreements also take precedence over these Guidelines where conflicts exist.
