Federal EIA in Canada: EARP as an evolving process

While US planners, administrators, and scientists struggled with initial problems in applying the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Canadians also tested the environmental impact assessment (EIA) waters for the first time. However, the federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process (EARP) began slowly by way of a Cabinet directive and Department of Fisheries and Environment (now Environment Canada) policy rather than through new legislation. Since implementation of the policy on April 1, 1974, EARP has been scrutinized and adapted to meet perceived shortcomings in procedural requirements and to respond more aptly to stated objectives of EIA at the federal level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the changing role of EARP during its first 10 years of implementation and to assess the success or failure of the process, including its 1984 amendments.