https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/po ... e37899033/
The Liberal government has unveiled its plan to overhaul the assessment process for major resource projects, saying added environmental protections are needed to restore public trust in Ottawa's approval of controversial pipelines, mines and hydro dams.
In the midst of a battle between British Columbia and Alberta over a pipeline expansion project, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna tabled legislation on Thursday that aims to increase protection for the environment and Indigenous rights while providing greater timeliness and certainty for businesses.
Industry officials said the legislation appears to erect new hurdles for proposals, while environmental groups said it falls short by not clearly ruling out projects that would have significant adverse environmental effects.
In news conferences across the country, Liberal ministers defended the long-promised legislation, which will put one agency in charge of reviewing major resource projects and downgrade the role of the Calgary-based National Energy Board, which environmentalists often accused of having a pro-industry bias.
The legislation will reverse many changes the Conservative government adopted in 2012 to speed up approvals of pipelines and other resource projects. It would set timelines that include a limit of 600 days to review the most controversial projects.
CKA Uber 
