At the request of a province we would look at the conditions laid out in the act. The act is designed to ensure that the substantive elements of environmental assessment are carried out by a province. For example, we need to ensure the core elements, such as looking at the significance of cumulative effects, are addressed. We need to ensure there is an opportunity for public participation. Finally, with substitution, or with equivalency, we would require that the province prepare a report. On top of that, if we have the province carry out the project of assessing and making the final decision, we require that they carry out the enforcement.
The difference between substitution and equivalency is that in both cases we're trying to reduce federal-provincial overlap. With substitution, we have them carry out the process. They are the ones who are figuring out what the effects are, but at the end of the day both jurisdictions make a decision on the basis of that report. This allows the Minister of the Environment to determine the significance of effects.
With equivalency, we go one step further and allow the province to make that final determination.
Basically, the safeguards built into the act are to ensure that if the federal government is making a decision at the end, it has all the information it needs to make a sound decision. If the federal government is not making a decision at the end and is ensuring the province is going to make that decision, the safeguard is that they are carrying out the enforcement measures.