Minister's Response

Project

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company are proposing the Pitt Meadows Road and Rail Improvements Project (the Road and Rail Project) to improve transport efficiency by removing two rail crossings and constructing associated road and rail infrastructure. The Road and Rail Project is located in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.

Decision

Non-designated project.

Reasons

Pursuant to section 9 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), I, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change considered the potential for the Road and Rail Project to cause adverse effects within federal jurisdiction, adverse direct or incidental effects, public concern related to these effects, as well as adverse impacts on the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples of Canada. In forming my opinion, I took into account the analysis prepared by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency).

I am of the opinion that the designation of the Road and Rail Project is unwarranted for the following reasons:

  • the regulatory review processes that currently apply to the Road and Rail Project and related consultations with Indigenous peoples provide a framework to address the potential adverse effects and concerns raised by Indigenous peoples and members of the public. These include:
  • relevant provisions of federal legislation, including the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Canadian Navigable Waters Act; and
  • provincial licenses, permits and approvals required for the Road and Rail Project pursuant to the British Columbia Heritage Conservation Act and the British Columbia Water Sustainability Act;
  • potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction or adverse direct or incidental effects would be limited through project design, by application of standard mitigation measures and managed through existing legislative mechanisms; and
  • the public concerns known to the Agency that relate to the potential adverse aforementioned effects do not warrant designation under subsection 9(1) of the IAA.

Document Reference Number: 4

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