Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act explained

Short Title:Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act
Legislature:Parliament of Canada
Long Title:An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Citation:Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act . S.C.. 2019. 28. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/AnnualStatutes/2019_28/.
Enacted By:House of Commons of Canada
Date Passed:June 20, 2018[1]
Enacted By2:Senate of Canada
Date Passed2:June 6, 2019[2]
Royal Assent:June 21, 2019[3]
Bill:C-69
Introduced By:Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna
1St Reading:February 8, 2018[4]
2Nd Reading:March 19, 2018[5]
3Rd Reading:May 8, 2018[6]
Committee Report:May 29, 2018[7]
Bill2:C-69
Introduced By2:Government Liaison in the Senate Grant Mitchell
1St Reading2:June 20, 2018[8]
2Nd Reading2:December 12, 2018[9]
3Rd Reading2:June 13, 2019[10]
Committee Report2:May 28, 2019
Repeals:Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012
National Energy Board Act
Amended By:Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement Implementation Act
Related Legislation:Oil Tanker Moratorium Act
Status:Amended

The Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act (French: Loi sur l’évaluation d’impact and French: Loi sur la Régie canadienne de l’énergie), also referred to as Bill C-69, are two acts of the Parliament of Canada passed together by the 42nd Canadian Parliament in 2019. The Acts gave authority to the federal government to consider how climate change might be impacted by proposed natural resource projects when undergoing federal approvals, while also being attentive to safeguarding market competitiveness.[11]

History

The bill, which was introduced by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, had its first reading on February 8, 2018,[4] its second reading on March 19,[5] and its third reading on May 8.[6] It passed in the House of Commons of Canada on June 20, 2018[1] and in the Senate of Canada on June 6, 2019.[2] Bill C-69 received royal assent on June 21, 2019.[3] The Acts were introduced together as Bill C-69 and entitled An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.[12]

Repeals

C-69 repealed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012[13] and the National Energy Board Act.[14]

Reception

C-69 was heavily criticized by Conservatives and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, who feared that the new regulations would stifle investments to natural resources extraction in Canada.[15] A June 20, 2019 National Post article called Bills C-69 and C-48 "controversial".[16] The Post said that natural resources sector and some provinces had fiercely opposed the bills for over a year before its passage. Some critics of the bill say that it attacked the oil and gas sector in Canada, according to the Post. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney dubbed C-69 the "No more pipelines act".[17]

Professors Martin Olszynski and Mark S. Winfield believe these criticisms are overblown. Winfred points out that the pre-2019 regulatory framework is much weaker than the one that existed for 40 years in Canada before it was axed in 2012. C-69 brought back some of the consultation requirements from that period, and according to Winfield, "the legislation is a relatively minor adjustment to what already existed". In fact, Olszynski believes that this bill would make it easier for projects to go forward, as project critics would be included in the decision-making process, and thus less likely to resort to litigation to make their voices heard.

The passage of Bill C-69 was widely viewed by industry as a negative.[18]

Amendments

The Canadian Energy Regulator Act was amended by the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement Implementation Act, which was ratified on April 3, 2020, to replace references within the act to the North American Free Trade Agreement with references to the newer United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement.[19]

Legal challenges

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney submitted an appeal with the Alberta Court of Appeal in 2021 alleging that Bill C-69 was an attack on the province's "vital economic interests" and that it has resulted in job loss.[11] The lawsuit claims the bill is federal overreach in provincial jurisdictions and has a negative effect on future major oil and gas projects.[11] On May 10, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Alberta (ABCA) found the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, were unconstitutional.[20]

On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the Albert Court of Appeal's decision in Reference re Impact Assessment Act and ruled "the federal impact assessment scheme is unconstitutional in part."[21] The Court found the Impact Assessment Act, 2019 was "not directed at regulating 'effects within federal jurisdiction' as defined in the Act, because these effects do not drive the scheme’s decision-making functions" and that "the defined term “effects within federal jurisdiction” does not align with federal legislative jurisdiction." However, sections 81 to 91 of the Act, "which establishe[d] an impact assessment process for projects carried out or financed by federal authorities on federal lands or outside Canada," was found to be constitutional.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Canada . Impact Assessment Act . . June 20, 2018 . 21345 .
  2. Canada . Impact Assessment Bill, Canadian Energy Regulator Bill, Navigation Protection Act. . June 6, 2019 . 8430 .
  3. Canada . Royal Assent . . June 21, 2019 . 8845 .
  4. Canada . Impact Assessment Act . . February 8, 2018 . 16915 .
  5. Canada . Impact Assessment Act . . March 19, 2018 . 17695 .
  6. Canada . Impact Assessment Act . House of Commons of Canada (ENVI) . June 20, 2018 . 21345.
  7. . Committee Report No. 15 - ENVI (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada. Committee Report . May 29, 2018 . May 13, 2022 .
  8. Canada . Impact Assessment Bill, Canadian Energy Regulator Bill, Navigation Protection Act . . June 20, 2018 . 6216 .
  9. Canada . Impact Assessment Bill, Canadian Energy Regulator Bill, Navigation Protection Act. . December 12, 2018 . 7326 .
  10. Canada . Impact Assessment Bill, Canadian Energy Regulator Bill, Navigation Protection Act. . June 6, 2019 . 8430 .
  11. News: Rieger . Sarah . January 23, 2021 . Alberta's legal challenge of Bill C-69 is part of a list of grievances against Ottawa . CBC News . May 13, 2022.
  12. News: Government Bill (House of Commons) C-69 (42-1) - First Reading - an Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts - Parliament of Canada .
  13. Web site: Canadian Environmental Assessment Act . Laws.justice.gc.ca . 2012-10-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110105223219/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-15.2/ . 2011-01-05 .
  14. News: Ottawa to scrap National Energy Board, overhaul environmental assessment process for major projects. Tasker. John Paul. February 8, 2018. CBC News. February 8, 2018. en.
  15. Web site: Lake . Holly . November 9, 2018 . Environment and economy face off in battle over marine-protection bill . May 31, 2019 . iPolitics.
  16. News: Snyder . Jesse . June 20, 2019 . Controversial bills C-69 and C-48 to become law, one day after Senate enforces Arctic offshore oil ban . National Post . May 13, 2022.
  17. News: Joel . Dryden . Supreme Court rules environmental impact legislation largely unconstitutional . CBC News . 13 October 2023 .
  18. News: O'Rourke . Patrick . The Bill C-69 Aftermath - Understanding Canada's new regulatory framework . 5 May 2024 . ATB Capital Markets.
  19. Web site: Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister on Canada's ratification of the new NAFTA. Government of Canada. April 3, 2020. April 13, 2020. February 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210214232251/https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2020/04/03/statement-deputy-prime-minister-canadas-ratification-new-nafta. live.
  20. Reference re Impact Assessment Act, 2022 ABCA 165 . . May 10, 2022 . 1901-0276AC . Calgary, Alberta . In the Matter of An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, SC 2019, c 28 and the Physical Activities Regulations, SOR/2019-285 And in the Matter of a Reference by the Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Court of Appeal of Alberta under the Judicature Act, RSA 2000, c J-2, s 26 . May 13, 2022 .
  21. Web site: Canada . Supreme Court of . 2023-10-13 . Supreme Court of Canada - 40195 . 2024-01-20 . www.scc-csc.ca.