Should Ontario Streamline Environmental Assessments for Municipal Infrastructure?
Official title: New regulation to focus municipal environmental assessment requirements
Ontario wants to replace its current environmental assessment process for municipal projects with a simpler, faster system. The new rules would focus only on drinking water, wastewater, and shoreline projects. Other municipal infrastructure could skip the EA process entirely. The government says this will speed up building while still protecting the environment for complex projects.
Why This Matters
Live in a growing Ontario community? This affects how fast new water systems, sewage plants, and waterfront projects get built near you. Fewer environmental reviews could mean faster construction—but also less scrutiny of impacts on local lakes, rivers, and drinking water sources.
What Could Change
The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment would be revoked entirely. A new streamlined regulation would apply only to drinking water, wastewater, and shoreline projects. Many municipal infrastructure projects that currently require environmental assessments would no longer need them. Projects that do require assessment would follow a new time-limited process.
Key Issues
- Which municipal projects should still require environmental assessments?
- Is the proposed project list (drinking water, wastewater, shoreline works) appropriate?
- Will the new Municipal Project Assessment Process provide adequate environmental protection?
How to Participate
- Review the proposal details on the Environmental Registry of Ontario notice for full information about the proposed changes.
- Submit your comments through the Ontario Regulatory Registry comment form by February 3, 2026.