Achieving Efficiency in Environmental Assessment Through Focused Selection of Valued Components

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ward Prystay ◽  
Andrea Pomeroy ◽  
Sandra Webster
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Environmental Assessments ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
The Government ◽  
Selection Of

Some of the largest oil and gas projects in Canada are currently being proposed in British Columbia. Establishing a fulsome and scientifically and socially defensible scope for environmental assessments in the oil and gas sector is a serious challenge for government and proponents. The approach taken by the federal National Energy Board to scope effects assessments on pipelines is quite different than the approach taken by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office on other types of oil and gas projects. The NEB has published guidelines for scoping and conducting environmental and socio-economic assessments within its Filing Manual (National Energy Board [NEB] 2014). This manual sets out the expectations for scoping, baseline information, and effects assessments to be submitted as part of approval applications. Proponents are expected to provide all information necessary to meet the guidelines. In British Columbia, the environmental assessment process is dictated by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act and includes a negotiated terms of reference for the assessment, called the Application Information Requirements (AIR). The approach to selection of valued components is guided by provincial guidelines (EAO, 2013). The first draft of the AIR is prepared by the proponent and is then amended to address matters raised by federal and provincial agencies, local governments, and representatives of potentially affected First Nations. Through two to three revisions, the scope of assessment is jointly established and then formally issued by the government. While there are valid reasons for the differing federal and provincial approaches to scoping environmental assessments, each of these processes create risks for proponents in terms of project timelines and costs for preparing the environmental assessment. More specifically, the use of generic and negotiated guidelines can result in a number of issues including: • A scope of assessment that is broader than necessary to understand the potential for significant adverse effects • Inclusion of issues that are “near and dear” to a specific regulator or community but has no direct relationship to the effects of the project itself • Selection of valued components that do not allow for defensible quantification of effects or use of directly relevant significance thresholds • Selection of valued components that are only of indirect concern as opposed to focusing the assessment on the true concern. • Double counting of environmental effects • Risks in assessing cumulative effects This paper discusses where and how these risks occur, and provides examples from recent and current environmental assessments for pipelines and facilities in British Columbia. Opportunities to manage the scope of assessment while providing a fulsome, efficient, effective and scientifically/socially defensible assessment are discussed.

“This Is Going to Affect Our Lives”: Exploring Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the Government of Canada and British Columbia’s New Relationship Through the Implementation of the Maa-nulth Treaty

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Sloan Morgan ◽  
Heather Castleden ◽  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
150Th Anniversary ◽  
Canadian Provinces ◽  
The Government ◽  
Government Of Canada

AbstractCanada celebrated its 150th anniversary since Confederation in 2017. At the same time, Canada is also entering an era of reconciliation that emphasizes mutually respectful and just relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown. British Columbia (BC) is uniquely situated socially, politically, and economically as compared to other Canadian provinces, with few historic treaties signed. As a result, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments are attempting to define ‘new relationships’ through modern treaties. What new relationships look like under treaties remains unclear though. Drawing from a comprehensive case study, we explore Huu-ay-aht First Nations—a signatory of the Maa-nulth Treaty, implemented in 2011—BC and Canada’s new relationship by analysing 26 interviews with treaty negotiators and Indigenous leaders. A disconnect between obligations outlined in the treaty and how Indigenous signatories experience changing relations is revealed, pointing to an asymmetrical dynamic remaining in the first years of implementation despite new relationships of modern treaty.

scholarly journals Priorities for silvicultural investments: Public, government, and industry perspectives

1991 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 691-697
Author(s):  
Ilan Vertinsky ◽  
Donald A. Wehrung ◽  
Shelby Brumelle
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
The Public ◽  
Priority Weights ◽  
Forest Regions ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Government ◽  
Elected Representatives

This paper describes the results of a survey of desired and perceived priorities for public silvicultural investments in British Columbia. The objective of the survey was to examine the extent to which non-timber benefits command the attention of the public and of managers in government and industry having responsibility for silvicultural investment. To reflect the "public view," elected representatives from local governments were surveyed. The industry sample consisted of senior foresters, while the government sample consisted of managers at both headquarters level and in the different forest regions and districts. The study revealed that non-timber benefits commanded attention in all the groups studied but, not surprisingly, the mean priority weights varied among groups. Surprisingly, however, only a few regional differences in priorities for silvicultural investments were discovered.

scholarly journals Penggunaan Metode Weighted Product Untuk Seleksi Mahasiswa Penerima Beasiswa

2020 ◽  
pp. 176-180
Author(s):  
Muhammad Isa Daud ◽  
Mufty Mufty
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Wrong Decision ◽  
Scholarship Recipients ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Right ◽  
Tuition Fee ◽  
Selection Of

Making the right decision is very important in a management, wrong decision making can be fatal for both companies and individuals Through the Education Office the government seeks to allocate funds to provide scholarships to students who are economically unable to finance their education and provide scholarships to students who have achievements. In order for the implementation of scholarships to be achieved, it must be in accordance with the principle of 3T, namely On target, Right amount and On time. The provision of tuition fee assistance in the form of scholarships is also given to students in universities. Scholarships are given to students who excel and are underprivileged. The selection of scholarship recipients so far is not maximal because of the assessment that seems to favor one student so that students who really deserve it become unable to get. In this research using Weighted Products method to conduct the assessment process and the process implemented into a system, it is expected that with the system of decision-makers can choose students who really deserve. The results showed that Mahasiswa 4 was selected as a scholarship student with a score of 0.237

MODEL SITES EXERCISES FOR ICM IMPLEMENTATION IN JAPAN

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keita Furukawa ◽  
Keita Furukawa
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
National Network ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Collaborative Capacity ◽  
Ocean Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Post Assessment

The basic act on ocean policy has been enacted since 2007 in Japan, and the basic plan on ocean policy has been endorsed by cabinet originally in 2008, and revised in 2013. The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is stated as one of basic measures in the basic act and one of measures the government should take comprehensively in the basic plan. Within the revised basic plan, a clear message of government to “offer assistance to regions” that strive to formulate their own plans (for comprehensively manage land areas and marine zones together) has been discrived. Nevertheless, specific measures by government are not yet implemented in sufficient level. The Ocean Policy Research Institute have set up 5 model sites with collaborative local governments. Since 6 years exercises, ICM implementation processes has been grouped in 5 phases namely, 1) situation understanding, 2) consensus building, 3) ICM planning, 4) adaptive implementation and 5) post assessment process. Variation of phases and necessary assistances will be discrived based on case studies. One of typical example is a collaborative capacity building course with OPRI and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourisms (MLIT). It can be an activating event for ICM implementation, and enforcement of local-national network.

MODEL SITES EXERCISES FOR ICM IMPLEMENTATION IN JAPAN

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keita Furukawa ◽  
Keita Furukawa
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
National Network ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Collaborative Capacity ◽  
Ocean Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Post Assessment

The basic act on ocean policy has been enacted since 2007 in Japan, and the basic plan on ocean policy has been endorsed by cabinet originally in 2008, and revised in 2013. The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is stated as one of basic measures in the basic act and one of measures the government should take comprehensively in the basic plan. Within the revised basic plan, a clear message of government to “offer assistance to regions” that strive to formulate their own plans (for comprehensively manage land areas and marine zones together) has been discrived. Nevertheless, specific measures by government are not yet implemented in sufficient level. The Ocean Policy Research Institute have set up 5 model sites with collaborative local governments. Since 6 years exercises, ICM implementation processes has been grouped in 5 phases namely, 1) situation understanding, 2) consensus building, 3) ICM planning, 4) adaptive implementation and 5) post assessment process. Variation of phases and necessary assistances will be discrived based on case studies. One of typical example is a collaborative capacity building course with OPRI and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourisms (MLIT). It can be an activating event for ICM implementation, and enforcement of local-national network.

scholarly journals Scenario planning tools for mitigating industrial impacts on First Nations subsistence economies in British Columbia, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Natcher ◽  
Naomi Owens-Beek ◽  
Ana-Maria Bogdan ◽  
Xiaojing Lu ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Conflict Management ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Subsistence Economies ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Planning Tools ◽  
Transmission Pipeline ◽  
The Government

AbstractThe Montney Play Trend (MPT) is a 1090 km2 region in northeast British Columbia that produces approximately one-third of western Canada’s natural gas output. In response to a proposed expansion of the MPT in 2016, the Government of British Columbia launched a Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment (RSEA) to identify the necessary conditions to achieve sustainable environmental outcomes. In this paper, we describe the methods and scenario planning tools that were developed to estimate how the development of the MPT might affect the subsistence economies of First Nations in the region. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, two impact assessments—Prince Rupert gas transmission pipeline and the Coastal GasLink pipeline—are presented. While no scenario can provide a definitive portrayal of exactly what will happen in the future, the tools that were co-developed are serving as an effective starting point for exploring possibilities that are at least consistent with current knowledge and can serve as a platform for collaborative learning and conflict management.

Mapping Quaternary paleovalleys and drift thickness using petrophysical logs, northeast British Columbia, Fontas map sheet, NTS 94IThis article is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Geology of northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta: diamonds, shallow gas, gravel, and glaciers.

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian S. Hickin ◽  
Ben Kerr ◽  
Derek G. Turner ◽  
Tom E. Barchyn
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Quaternary Sediments ◽  
Shallow Gas ◽  
Gas Well ◽  
Well Drilling ◽  
Bedrock Topography ◽  
Petrophysical Logs ◽  
Selection Of

The relatively subdued topography of British Columbia’s northern interior plains does not reflect the irregular, buried bedrock surface. Many areas have been deeply incised by preglacial rivers that have subsequently filled with a succession of Quaternary sediments. In this study, oil and gas petrophysical logs, drill chip samples, water well logs, and surficial and bedrock outcrop maps were used to model the bedrock topography of the Fontas map sheet (NTS 94I). The modelled data produced several depressions that are interpreted to be paleovalleys incised into the soft Cretaceous shale of the Fort St. John Group. Understanding the geometry, thickness, and stratigraphy of the drift has considerable safety and resource management implications as artesian aquifers and natural gas were encountered in the drift during oil and gas well drilling. Four major paleovalleys are suggested. The most dominant paleovalley (Kotcho–Hoffard Paleovalley) is located south of the Etsho Plateau and trends west-southwest across the map area. A second depression occurs within the loop of the Hay River and may be a tributary of the Kotcho–Hoffard Paleovalley that links with the Rainbow Paleovalley in Alberta. A third paleovalley is mapped south of the Sahtaneh River (Kyklo Creek Paleovalley) and is either a tributary to, or crosscuts the Kotcho–Hoffard Paleovalley. The Niteal Creek Paleovalley is located between the Fontas and Sikanni Chief rivers. Its geometry is speculative as there are sparse data, but it may be a tributary of the Kotcho–Hoffard Paleovalley.

scholarly journals Studying Across: Anthropology, Conflict Transformation and Cultural Violence in Environmental Conflict

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda J. Fitzpatrick
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Conflict ◽  
Conflict Transformation ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Environmental Conflicts ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Cultural Violence ◽  
Anthropological Approach

Abstract Using the example of the controversial Site C dam in British Columbia, Canada, this article describes how ethnographic research that incorporated a conflict transformation perspective and included individuals from both sides of the issue highlighted both contrasting views on human-environment relations and the inequitable conditions under which they met through the Environmental Assessment process. The article argues that an anthropological approach that incorporates a conflict transformation perspective is particularly well-suited to identify, and potentially to address, the “discourses, narratives, and worldviews” (Rodriguez and Inturias 2018: 96) that operate as “cultural violence” (Galtung, 1990) in state-Indigenous environmental conflicts, legitimating structural and environmental violence.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document