North of 60, the approach to environmental assessments is different than it is south of 60. In fact, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in Canada is actually the minister responsible for the environment north of 60.
The process is one that falls from the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement that was settled some time ago between Canada and the Inuit people of what is now Nunavut. It provides for an integration of federal responsibilities with regional interests, under the auspices of an institution of public government called the Nunavut Impact Review Board. There is another institution of public government that is also involved, the Nunavut Water Board, but the primary process is undertaken by NIRB.
To put it into perspective, our review through the NIRB process began in March of 2008 and concluded on December 28, 2012. It's a four-and-a-half-year process. It's extremely stringent. I've been through the CEAA process and a provincial one as well, the NEAA. I can tell you that development north of 60 is very carefully considered.
It's a very stringent process, as it should be, given what we're doing and where we're doing it. It's a very inclusive process. The communities in the primary area of activity are thoroughly engaged, to the point where they can sometimes feel they're over-engaged, in that there are a lot of meetings. But it's absolutely crystal clear at the end of that process that there has been a thorough discussion, not just on the physical environment but also on the social environment and the ways in which the project might address it.