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OTTAWA — The Liberals’ new environmental assessment legislation is intended to restore public trust in federal decision-making, but both industry and environmental groups are concerned that it leaves too much power in the hands of politicians.

The new bill gives the federal environment minister much of the same discretionary power as the existing Harper-era legislation, including the right to decide whether an assessment is required, to extend deadlines and to make decisions without fixed criteria.

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“The impact assessment does not address the pipeline sector’s most fundamental concern: a process that is expensive, lengthy, polarizing, and ends with a discretionary political decision,” Canadian Energy Pipeline Association president Chris Bloomer recently told the House of Commons environment committee, which is reviewing the new legislation.

Bill C-69 would replace sweeping environmental assessment reforms passed by the former Conservative government in 2012. It aims to broaden the scope of environmental assessments to include social and economic impacts and effects on Indigenous groups, while shortening the legislated timelines for assessments. It would create a new Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, to replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, which would lead all major assessments.