The Environmental Assessment Board of Ontario as a Decision-making Body: Its Role in Environmental Impact Assessment

In this article, Michael Jeffery explains why the environmental impact assessment process in Ontario is arguably one of the most advanced in the world. The wide definition of "environment" to encompass social and economic impact; and the open processes of government decision-making which these procedures engender, are just two reasons to support that proposition. Nevertheless,. as Mr Jeffery admits, there are problems, both in the Minister's ability to exempt undertakings, and with respect to the Environmental Assessment Board's own jurisdiction. The article provides a fascinating insight into a form of environmental assessment which may well point the way forward in Australia towards more open and informative government decision-making.