EIA Guidelines Not Being Followed in NB Project

SAINT JOHN--The condition for meaningful and adequate public consultation has not been met in the case of the construction of an Irving office building proposed for the Saint John Port Authority's Long Wharf in Saint John, New Brunswick, says the Green Party of Canada.  Federal Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency guidelines require that the public be notified in a reasonable and early timeframe to allow for participation in the assessment of the project, something which local residents feel has not be carried out.

In the case of this project, documents were posted for review on June 30th with only fifteen days given for response.  Community members say there was no public notice of the environmental assessment for the project.  “Lack of proper notice makes it very difficult for the general public to have time to hear about the project, make their way to the website and then wade through a thick engineering report,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May. “Community members want a chance to comment and expect that the government wants to hear from them – so why aren’t the EIA guidelines being followed properly?”

The proposed large office building project would be built on the historic waterfront of Saint John, near fishing areas and potentially having an impact on port users, tourism operators and recreational users of the area.  Community members are asking for a minimum of 60 days to respond to the environmental assessment documents.

“Two months to review a significant project document is an extremely reasonable request; anything less shows contempt for the spirit of the Act," said May.

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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca