Should Ontario Streamline Environmental Assessments for Municipal Infrastructure?

Official title: New regulation to focus municipal environmental assessment requirements

Closed Regulations & Permits Environment & Climate Housing & Communities Indigenous & Northern
Ontario wants to replace its current environmental assessment process for municipal projects like roads, water systems, and sewage plants. The new rules would speed up approvals for housing-related infrastructure while keeping archaeological protections. Private developers building water and sewage systems would still need assessments, but many smaller projects would face fewer requirements.

Why This Matters

Waiting for a new home? This could speed up construction of the roads, water, and sewer systems needed for new housing developments. If you live near a proposed project, you'd have 30 days to comment on draft reports instead of navigating the current complex process. Indigenous communities would get a new consultation process for archaeological sites.

What Could Change

The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment would be revoked and replaced with a new streamlined regulation. Projects would face a 120-day assessment timeline instead of open-ended processes. Lower-impact projects like minor road work would only need archaeological screening. Private developers building drinking water or sewage systems would still need full assessments.

Key Issues

  • Should the current Municipal Class Environmental Assessment be replaced with a streamlined 120-day process?
  • Which projects should require full environmental assessments versus archaeological screening only?
  • Should private developers building water and sewage systems remain subject to environmental assessment requirements?
  • Is the proposed Indigenous consultation process for archaeological assessments adequate?

How to Participate

  1. Review the Updated Proposed Processes and Project Lists to understand which projects would be affected.
  2. Submit your comments through the ERO online comment form by February 3, 2026. Include ERO number 019-7891 in your submission.
  3. Or email your feedback to eamodernization.mecp@ontario.ca or mail it to: EA Modernization Project Team, Environmental Assessment Modernization Branch, 135 St Clair Ave West, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M4V 1P5.

Key Documents