The Ontario government is proposing another amendment to its environmental assessment process, this one to reduce the time and cost required to initiate waterpower projects which have little or no negative environmental impacts.

Introduced by the Ontario Waterpower Association, the amendment proposes a new screening process to exempt low-impact projects from having to undergo an environmental assessment.

Jeff Yurek, the minister of environment, conservation and parks, joined association president Paul Norris at the Sir Adam Beck II generating station, on the border of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Thursday morning, to announce the proposal.

"Community and businesses would be better off by getting projects underway faster while the government focuses its resources on assessing projects that pose actual risk to the environment," said Yurek.

Replacing an old and inefficient generator, for example, is a low-risk project with little impact on the environment, he said. Yet when Ontario Power Generation recently did just that, it had to go through the class environmental assessment process.

The current process causes delays, and in some cases duplicates requirements, and costs are piling up, he said.

"This type of assessment can currently take over a year to complete and can cost up to $100,000 before the project can begin," said Yurek.

If a project is compliant with the new screening process, he said surrounding communities, Indigenous communities and the government would be notified that it is moving forward.

The waterpower association has seen a steady increase in process time and cost in recent years, said Norris, regardless of the environmental context of a project.

"What was initially intended to be a tailored process has become more like a one-size fits all."

This is a key issue the proposal would address, he said.

The province began modifying the Environmental Assessment Act in June 2019, beginning by exempting low-impact projects like roadside parks and bike lanes, projects Yurek saidhave little or no negative effect on the environment.

When Ontario's environmental assessment program was introduced in 1975, he said it was the first of its kind in Canada.

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"It has served us well but after almost 50 years, it remains largely unchanged."

The proposal will go onto the legislature registry in February, allowing for public review and comments. Those comments will be considered and changes made, if necessary, before moving forward. Yurek said he anticipates this latest amendment to come into effect later this spring.