This letter was sent to Minister of Natural Resources James Carr and Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna by five organisations – MiningWatch Canada, Nature Canada, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, the Quebec Environmental Law Centre, and West Coast Environmental Law. The letter states:
Tinkering with the current law is simply not acceptable to any of us. We are further concerned that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency—by far the most knowledgeable federal agency concerning impact assessment process and practice—is not leading the development of the new law. This letter summarizes the key features we will be looking for in the legislation given that many policy directions taken in the Discussion Paper differ fundamentally from those advanced by the Expert Panel. Our organizations are prepared to fully support a new law only if it includes provisions that address the issues set out in this letter.