On boundaries

Today's revelations that the Cons are planning to gut the Environmental Assessment Act figure to demand plenty of follow-up. But for now, let's note one element of the leaked plan which doesn't seem to have been emphasized elsewhere:

The leaked documents show the Conservatives are planning to rush a watered-down version of the Environmental Assessment Act through parliament as early as March or April. The new rules would exempt from environmental assessment: any Building Canada infrastructure projects under $10 million regardless of the environmental or health risk; any project on federal lands or using federal dollars; and, any project that a provincial government asks be exempted.

Now, we'll have to see the exact wording to know exactly what terms might exist for that type of exemption. But it's not hard to imagine the problems that could arise if Ed Stelmach decides to avoid any discussion of the effect of new oil sands projects, or if Brad Wall concludes that Bruce Power is best served by avoiding a thorough review of the effects of a nuclear reactor.

Moreover, it would seem entirely possible for one province to offload environmental issues onto another by requesting to avoid any assessment of a project whose effects might be felt elsewhere. Which may result in far more risk than opportunity in the Cons' plans for many provinces - and that in turn may lead more than a few provinces to join Canadians who don't see the economic crisis as an excuse to throw the environment out the window in opposing the Cons' plans.