British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act: Reviewable Ground Water Projects
What is the Environmental Assessment Act?
The British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act requires that certain types of project proposals undergo an environmental assessment and obtain an environmental assessment certificate in order to proceed. The current legislation came into effect in December 2002, replacing the previous Environmental Assessment Act, which had been in effect since June 1995. The provincial government is committed to more flexible, efficient, and timely reviews of proposed major projects to help revitalize the provincial economy. This is why a new, streamlined environmental assessment process was introduced in 2002.
The environmental assessment process identifies and assesses the potential effects that may result from a proposed project, and considers measures to minimize or avoid adverse effects. The scope, procedures and methods for each assessment are tailored to the circumstances of the proposed project.
When is a Ground Water Project Reviewable under the Environmental Assessment Act?
New Facility
- The development of a new facility is reviewable if it consists of one or more wells, operated either periodically or continuously for one year or more, designed to be operated to extract ground water at the rate of 75 litres or more per second.
Modification to an Existing Facility
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Where an existing facility is designed to extract ground water at a rate of 75 litres or more per second, modifications to the facility are reviewable if the modifications will increase the rate of extraction by 35% or by 75 litres per second or more.
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Where an existing facility is designed to extract ground water at a rate of less than 75 litres per second, modifications to the facility are reviewable if the modifications will increase the rate of extraction by 35 % and result in an extraction rate for the facility of 75 litres per second or more.
Federal Requirements
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act may apply to certain ground water extraction proposals where the rate of ground water extraction is greater than 200,000 m3 /a (about 7 litres per second) or to modifications that increase production capacity by more than 35 %. Should there be a requirement for review under both provincial and federal environmental legislation, the provincial Environmental Assessment Office will arrange for a joint review to avoid duplication and to streamline the review process.
For more information about the environmental assessment review process and projects that are reviewable under the Environmental Assessment Act, contact the Environmental Assessment Office:
Website: www.eao.gov.bc.ca/
2nd Floor, 836 Yates Street
PO Box 9426 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9V1
Phone 250 356-7479
Fax: 250 356-7440
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