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An Ontario construction group argues infrastructure projects can provide employment, income, and taxes, but overly burdensome environmental legislation is standing in the way.

The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) is demanding reform of environment assessment (EA) legislation. The provincial group of construction management and labour groups sees the current assessment process "burdensome" and a significant roadblock to achieving the infrastructure projects cited in the recent budget.

"Unless the EA process is reformed, don't expect infrastructure spending to provide a shot in the arm to the economy," said RCCAO director, Andy Manahan. "We simply won't get shovels into the ground quickly enough to have any meaningful impact on the looming recession."

The Environmental Assessment (EA) Act is intended to promote more responsible planning by gauging the potential effects of infrastructure projects before construction begins. Applicable to most public and some private projects—from roads and landfills to sewer undertakings and electricity work—the EA process seeks to promote good environmental planning practices, improve community acceptance, and better protect the environment.

A new white paper, Environmental Assessment Reform: A Tool for Economic Recovery, examines what RCCAO calls "the bottlenecks, duplication, and time-consuming demands" of existing EA legislation. For efficient use of public funding in Ontario's stimulus packages, the group says the province must simplify EA requirements, similar to the way it has for transit, energy, and waste management projects.

RCCAO is also calling for improved co-operation between the provincial and federal governments, lamenting projects that have satisfied provincial EA requirements often still need to be reassessed under the federal act. Further, the group sees land use planning and environmental assessment as "dueling processes." RCCAO argues land use planning could be improved to consider alternative solutions, and then this process could be used to fulfil EA requirements.

The group also says the provincial government must revise the Class EA process with a view to eliminating requests for formal government review that are deemed "frivolous" or "vexatious."

"All too often, this avenue is used to serve the interests of individuals or an ideology, at the expense of broader public interests," said Manahan. "There are certainly legitimate concerns raised on many projects, but there must be some limits on blatant abuse and delay tactics where legitimate processes are ignored."