ASSESSMENT PROCESS:
The Current Environmental
Assessment process being conducted is deeply flawed in that it is
unfair to citizens and citizen groups, biased in favor of development, and far too legalistic.
The process is quite convoluted, even by comparison to other environmental assessment processes. Those
without legal council previously experienced in this process with many hours of time available are seriously
handicapped. This means the rich corporate energy interests and government bureaucracies are
taking advantage of an unfairly biased playing field against not-for-profits and citizens.
We believe a fair playing field must include dollar for dollar funds granted matching what industry and
government spend on promotion and assessment by their paid agents.
The great volume and technicality of the
documents takes time and expertise to pursue. Yet the process is
steamrolling at a breakneck speed that allows insufficient time for not-for-profit organizations and
concerned citizens to read, understand and carefully consider what it all means. Intervenor groups have
insufficient time to prepare their positions, just a few weeks. Meanwhile, even the exact pipeline
route has not had a detailed, specific assessment and reporting. There are deadlines for when
intervenors can ask questions of the proponents, yet the timelines are too short to allow intervenors to get
their answers (and to re-put any questions not answered satisfactorily) before the intervenors must be well
into preparing their written evidence reports.
The assessment is being done by the
National Energy Board, an organization unlikely to be
unbiased since the NEB exists to sell energy. As well, the NEB does not adeqately
represent regional interests, as it is a national board. The final decision will be made by Ottawa
bureacrats and politicians, whereas the decision should be made here in Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick by the people most affected.
All of this can and should be changed. We can do better. We already know how to do better,
and it is a process developed here in Canada and finding use in the UN and around the world!
We propose a process inspired by the Canadian National Round Table on Environment and Economy
's Building Consensus for a Sustainable Future: Guiding Principles (1993).
This is designed to allow participants with different needs and perspectives to work cooperatively
to "advance issues related to environmental, social and economic sustainability."
We propose to work together as equals with all stakeholders in generating
in-depth investigation of our issues and of all other issues that we share an interest in understanding
fully. We hope to build agreement and consensus to our mutual benefit.
Where consensus is achieved any findings will have far greater mutual credibility.
We all have a long-term stake and responsibility in insuring that no
unforseen or preventable adverse effects or other harm occurs as a result of this project. And we all want
to ensure that our energy resources are managed wisely and sustainably.
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