Advocating for Species at Risk in Prince Edward Island
 
On June 9th, staff lawyer Tina Northrup met virtually with Prince Edward Island’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability to discuss our recent report on the efficacy of legal protections for species at risk on the Island. A week after Tina’s presentation, the Committee heard from Prince Edward Island’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action and two senior members of his staff who discussed departmental perspectives on the need for a new approach to legal protections for species at risk on the Island. Both presentations were recorded, and you can watch them here and here.

Bidding Farewell to Our Articled Clerk
 
In June, East Coast Environmental Law staff and Board members bid farewell to our articled clerk, Dan White, whose time with us has come to a close. During his articles, Dan contributed legal research to several projects, helped to draft responses to inquiries we received through our online Environmental Law Inquiry Service, and provided guidance and mentorship to law students volunteering with us. Dan was called to the Bar on June 17th, and we wish him all the best as he enters the next phase of his legal career. 
 
The articling year is a period of hands-on training that aspiring lawyers must complete before they are called to the Bar in Nova Scotia. Our ability to offer an articled clerkship was made possible by funding from the Clean Foundation’s Green Jobs Internship Program and a significant donation from a private donor. We thank them both for enabling us to provide a rare opportunity to article with a not-for-profit environmental law firm, and we look forward to the next time we are able to train a law school graduate in the practice of public-interest environmental law.

Assessing Another Proposal for Open-pit Gold Mining in Nova Scotia
 
When you hear the phrase “gold rush”, what regions come to mind?

We’d be willing to bet that most people don’t think of Nova Scotia as gold rush territory, but the reality is that multiple proposals for massive open-pit gold mines in Nova Scotia are currently being assessed by government agencies and decision-makers. The latest of these proposals is the proposed Goldboro Gold Project, which the corporation Signal Gold Inc. registered for a provincial environmental assessment in June. 
 
Public comments on the proponent’s Environmental Assessment Registration Document were due on July 10th. East Coast Environmental Law submitted comments that identify significant information gaps in the registration document and urge Nova Scotia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change to require additional information from the proponent before deciding whether or not to approve the proposed project. Our comments also express our deep concerns about the adequacy of existing environmental protection regimes in Nova Scotia, focusing in particular on current gaps in the laws and policies designed to protect wetlands and species at risk in the province, which open-pit gold mines such as the one proposed by Signal Gold can destroy or harm irreparably.  
 
East Coast Environmental Law participates in environmental assessment processes to make sure that the processes follow the law and apply legal principles that exist to protect local ecologies and local communities from environmental harms. These processes are also opportunities to advocate for progressive interpretations of environmental laws so that environmental decision-making responds meaningfully to the interconnected crises of climate emergency and global biodiversity loss.

Participating in a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia
 
In April, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change greenlighted a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. The Regional Assessment will be conducted under the federal Impact Assessment Act, and it is intended to help inform government decision-making and regulation of offshore wind projects in the assessment areas.
 
The Planning Phase for the Regional Assessment has now begun, and individuals, community groups, and organizations that are interested in participating can review this webpage for more information on how to get involved. Participant funding is available, and you can read more about that here.
 
East Coast Environmental Law has developed considerable experience participating in regional assessments under the Impact Assessment Act, and we look forward to contributing our insights and perspectives to this process. Through our participation and collaboration with community partners, we will aim to ensure that this Regional Assessment is conducted inclusively, robustly, and meaningfully. 

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