The EA Process
Generally, the EA process is a two-stage application to the Minister of the Environment for approval of a proposed undertaking. The first stage requires the proponent to prepare and submit a ToR to the ministry for review and approval. Once approved by the Minister, the proponent can proceed to the second stage and prepare an EA document.

The EA must be completed in accordance with the ToR and with the EAA. Approval under the EAA is required prior to the proponent proceeding with a proposed undertaking or receiving any subsequent approvals. The Minister is required to take into consideration comments from government, affected stakeholders and the public prior to making a decision on the EA.

Terms of Reference
The first step in the EA process is for the proponent to prepare and receive approval for a ToR. The ToR is the work plan for how the EA will be prepared. On September 15, 2004 the Minister approved the City’s ToR, which identified how the City was to, among other things, assess alternatives and their environmental effects and consult with the public during the development of the EA. The City of Ottawa’s ToR document may be viewed at “Stage 1: Terms of Reference”, available at .

Environmental Assessment
On September 9, 2005, the City submitted its EA to the MoE for review and approval. The public and government review period of the EA ended on October 28, 2005. During this review period, the EA was reviewed by a Government Review Team (GRT), which included federal, provincial and municipal agencies. The role of the GRT is to ensure that the data and the conclusions in the EA are valid, based on their agencies’ mandates. The public and First Nations also had the opportunity to review the EA concurrently and submit comments to the Ministry.

The Review
The MOE is required by the EAA to complete a Ministry Review of the EA. The purpose of this Review is to determine whether or not the EA was prepared in accordance with the commitments outlined in the ToR and whether or not the EA contains sufficient information about the anticipated environmental effects to allow for a decision to be made by the Minister of the EA.
The Review assists the Minister in making a decision regarding the EA and the proposed undertaking.

A Notice of Completion of Review, dated December 30, 2005 was recently made public by the MoE. The Review is currently available for a five-week public comment period. During this period, members of the public and the GRT can make comments on the MoE’s conclusions, and can request that the Minister refer the EA to the Environmental Review Tribunal for a hearing if they believe that their concerns have not been addressed. The Minister’s decision will be made following the public review period, on February 6, 2006. The decision will be made by the Minister, Laurel Broten, and is subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Next Steps
A five week public inspection period is currently underway. During this time, all interested parties can make submissions about the proposed undertaking, the EA and/or the Review. A Public Notice was published in the Ottawa Citizen and le Droit indicating that the Review was completed and available for viewing from December 31, 2005 to February 6, 2006. Copies of the Review have been placed in the same locations where the EA was made available. Neither are available on the Internet. Blossom Park Public Library is our closest location.

At the end of the five week review period, MOE staff will make a recommendation to the Minister concerning whether the City’s EA meets the requirements of the ToR and the EAA. The Review contributes to a number of documents that the Minister of the Environment (Laurel Broten) must consider when making a decision about the proposed North-South Corridor LRT Project EA. The Minister must also consider the purpose of the EAA, the public comments submitted during the review periods, and other matters the Minister may consider relevant.

The Minister will make one of the following decisions:

• Give approval to proceed with the undertaking;
• Give approval to proceed with the undertaking subject to conditions;
• Refuse to give approval to proceed with the undertaking;
• Refer either a part of or the entire EA to mediation; or
• Refer either a part of or the entire EA to the Environmental Review Tribunal for a decision.

For the status of the North-South LRT project currently with the Ministry of the Environment, please click on the following link: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/env_reg/ea/english/EAs/ottawa_lrt.htm