Environment committee  We hear about them, but we don't hear many concerns any more with respect to those projects that are subject to the comprehensive study process. As we explained last week, for all those that were started since the amendments came into force, they're very well aligned with the pro

Environment committee  Yes.

Environment committee  It's certainly something the committee may want to consider. I think the related issue, which you heard of with the two witnesses two days ago, goes to the notion of whether there should be a single agency responsible for all the assessments or we should continue with this diffus

Environment committee  Last week we heard that the government is at this time considering the matter of renewing that budget. A decision will be taken in the context of Budget 2012. If the funds are not renewed, this will obviously have repercussions on our activities regarding environmental evaluation

Environment committee  They were used in the main for two purposes. Firstly, an envelope of money, a contribution, was given to the aboriginal communities that were consulted in the context of the environmental assessments. So funds were made available to them both for in-depth studies and for the pro

Environment committee  If the budgets are reduced, we will have to reassess the way in which we meet our obligations under the law.

Environment committee  As to projects under the purview of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission or the National Energy Board, our role is similar to the role we play with regard to all of the responsible authorities that conduct preliminary studies.

Environment committee  Two things were done, mainly. Both are related to amendments made to the law last year. Regarding the problems identified by the commissioner in connection with the multiple levels of authority involved in the assessments, it is precisely for that reason that the assessment of m

Environment committee  As we indicated last week, for all the comprehensive studies that have commenced since the amendments have come into force, we're working fully in sync with provincial jurisdictions. As we also mentioned last week, our main client in terms of resource sector at this point of ti

Environment committee  Yes.

Environment committee  When a project is referred to a review panel--that would include circumstances where the panel is established jointly with another jurisdiction--the panel is made responsible for assessing the environmental effects and reporting back to the Minister of the Environment with their

Environment committee  That would be the same. The responsibility is with the panel.

Environment committee  With respect to the panel costs themselves, these are shared between the NEB and the agency. We have a cost-recovery system in place that allows us to cost-recover our share of the costs from the proponent, and there are also resources made available to participants in the proces

Environment committee  That's correct. In our case, the direct costs incurred by the agency will be recovered from the proponent.

Environment committee  At the start of the process--and most panels would work the same way--the panel or the minister, depending on which jurisdictions we work with, because there are some differences there, will issue environmental impact statement guidelines to the proponent. So the proponent is pri