George Heyman, Environment Minister (photo credit: Province of B.C./Flickr)

By Liam Verster

Public Input

New tool gives residents more input on major projects

May 1, 2024 | 7:00 AM

British Columbians are able to have more say in environmental assessments for major projects in the province.

The new EPIC.engage platform allows residents to provide feedback during the public comment periods of an environmental assessment for industrial and infrastructure projects such as mines, pipelines, bridges and tunnels.

The online platform provides maps, diagrams and summaries of the projects, along with information on the proposals from experts and decision-makers.

“Public engagement is a critical part of our environmental assessment process and of transparency. It provides valuable information about proposed major projects in B.C. and helps inform ministers on whether to issue an environmental assessment certificate,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, stated.

“EPIC.engage makes it easier for the public to provide information that is both helpful and might otherwise be missed during the technical process of an environmental assessment.”

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The online tool allows members of the public to provide anonymous feedback, though people providing input will need to verify they are not bots or there to undermine a project or an assessment process. People who use the site can amend and resubmit feedback if their original submissions do not meet the required standards.

The website also has a post-submission feature to show what other commentors have said of the projects or the processes.

“Partnering with Environmental Assessment Office to improve the user experience of the public when engaging on projects that impact them and their communities will help ensure that any concerns or issues are addressed early in the process of assessing major projects,” Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, said.

The province began work on the platform in April of 2022, in partnership with Telus. It was funded through the Strategic Investment Fund.