Public Comments Invited and Federal Funding Available - Project 4 - All-Season Road Connecting Berens River to Poplar River First Nation

OTTAWA, Jan. 22, 2015 /CNW/ - As part of the strengthened and modernized Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012) put in place to support the government's Responsible Resource Development Initiative, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) commenced a federal environmental assessment of the proposed Project 4 — All-Season Road Connecting Berens River to Poplar River First Nation, located in Manitoba.

The Agency invites the public to comment on which aspects of the environment may be affected by this project and what should be examined during the environmental assessment, as detailed in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines.

Consistent with the transparency and public engagement elements of CEAA 2012, this is the second of four opportunities for the public to comment on this project. All comments received will be considered public. Written comments must be submitted by February 21, 2015 to:

Project 4 — All-Season Road Connecting Berens River to Poplar River First Nation
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Canada Place
9700 Jasper Avenue, Suite 1145
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4C3
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]

Federal Funding Available

The Agency is making available funding to support the participation of the public and Aboriginal groups in upcoming steps of the federal environmental assessment of this project.

Funding is available for eligible individuals and groups to enable their participation in upcoming steps of the environmental assessment, which include reviewing and providing comments on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or EIS summary, and the draft Environmental Assessment Report.

Applications received by February 21, 2015 will be considered. To apply for funding, contact the Participant Funding Program by writing to [email protected], or by calling 1-866-582-1884. Recipients and the amount of funding allocated will be announced at a later date.

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is seeking public comments on the draft EIS Guidelines for the proposed Project 4 — All-Season Road Connecting Berens River to Poplar River First Nation, located in Manitoba. The draft EIS Guidelines and more information on this project are available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry website, reference number 80094.
• Following this comment period, the Agency will finalize and issue the EIS Guidelines to the proponent. Future public comment periods on the proponent's EIS and the draft Environmental Assessment Report will be announced at later dates.
• Recipients of federal funding and the amount of funding allocated to support their participation in upcoming steps of the environmental assessment will be announced at a later date.
• Projects subject to CEAA 2012 are assessed using a science-based approach. If the project is permitted to proceed to the next phase, it will continue to be subject to Canada's strong environmental laws, rigorous enforcement and follow-up, and fines for non-compliance.
• The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.

Associated Links

• Project 4 — All-Season Road Connecting Berens River to Poplar River First Nation
  (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
• Participant Funding Program (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
• Basics of Environmental Assessment (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
• Responsible Resource Development (Canada's Economic Action Plan)

SOURCE Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Ted Laking, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of the Environment, 819-997-1441; Karen Fish, Communications Advisor, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 613-957-0278, [email protected]