(Ottawa) The Alberta Court of Appeal today released its long-delayed opinion on the Government of Alberta’s challenge of the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA), ruling in a four-to-one split decision that the law is unconstitutional and serves as a “Trojan Horse” to impose federal decision-making on provincial jurisdiction.
MiningWatch Canada was an intervener in the case, represented by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA). MiningWatch works for an accountable mining industry and a sustainable and equitable future. A strong impact assessment regime is key to making informed decisions to make sure that only acceptable projects go forward, and that those projects are the best that they can be.
“A strong federal impact assessment law is critical precisely because of the inconsistency of provincial laws,” said Jamie Kneen, Canada Program Co-Lead for MiningWatch Canada. “Some provinces have strong laws but others do not. Ontario, for example, doesn’t require an environmental assessment for any mining project.”
The federal government has already indicated that it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
For more information:
- Jamie Kneen, Canada Program Co-Lead, MiningWatch Canada, [email protected], (613) 761-2273
For background: