Transport Canada
www.tc.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Institutional links
Environment
Browse Resources
Environment Contact Information
Browse By Mode
Browse By Subject
About Us
Environmental Assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
Transport Canada conducts environmental assessments (EAs) for proposed projects in accordance with the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and 
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and other agencies and departments to ensure the appropriate application of CEAA and the northern EA processes to projects involving Transport Canada, as well as provide guidance and training to departmental staff on EA requirements.
Under CEAA, Transport Canada is required to undertake an EA for proposed projects relating to a physical work and for any proposed physical activity listed in the Inclusion List Regulations where it proposes to exercise one or more of the following CEAA triggers:
- Proposes or undertakes a project;
- Grants money or any other form of financial assistance to a project;
- Grants an interest in the land to enable a project to be carried out; and
- Exercises a regulatory duty in relation to a project by issuing a permit or license that is included in the Law List Regulations.
Currently, Transport Canada grants approvals under the relevant subsections of the
Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA), the National Energy Board Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Aeronautics Act, and the Federal Real Property Regulations under Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act. For more information on the NWPA, please consult the Navigable Waters Protections Program Web page.
If Transport Canada exercises one or more of the above-mentioned triggers, it becomes a responsible authority (RA) under CEAA. As an RA, Transport Canada must ensure that an environmental assessment is carried out in accordance with CEAA and must consider the environmental assessment findings before a decision is made whether or not to allow the project to proceed.
Information on projects currently undergoing an EA by Transport Canada can be found in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry (CEAR), a repository of EAs carried out by federal departments and agencies pursuant to CEAA. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Archives promotes the exchange of information relevant to past EAs conducted under CEAA. The archive is the main repository of EAs previously registered in the CEAR Internet Site.
