Dites adieu à l'évaluation indépendante des projets nucléaires.
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Online Strategy Session on the End of Independent Impact Assessment of Nuclear Projects
Thursday, October 8th, 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST |
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Bill C-39, Major Projects, and the Environment: What’s at Stake for Climate and Nature?
Tuesday, October 13th 2:00 pm EST |
September 21, 2026
BILL C-39, Unbuilding Canada’s Environmental Protections
C-39, The Build Canada Strong Act, launched the day Parliament resumed on September 21st, is designed to steamroll over environmental protections and project review processes to accelerate construction of road, rail, ports and nuclear projects.
The bill delivers the May 8th discussion paper‘s threat of transferring impact assessment of nuclear project’s from the independent Impact Assessment Agency to the nuclear industry led Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. You can follow Bill C-39 HERE.
Government of Canada News Release: "Government of Canada introduces legislation to transform how Canada builds"
Government of Canada: Bill C-39 Introduction
Government of Canada: Bill C-39
October 8 - Bill C-39 Referred to a Special Legislative Committee on Bill C-39
Read submissions on the May Discussion Paper HERE for earlier but very related analysis and comments.
APTN News: First Nations oppose proposed ‘one-project, one-year’ bill following its first vote
Chiefs of Ontario, Anishnabek Nation, Nishnawbe Aski Nation: First Nations Leaders Reject Bill C-39
CELA BLOG: The Unjustifiable Demise of Federal Environmental Law
Mark Winfield in the Hill Times: Bill C-39 – Is Nostalgia a Strategy after all?
WCEL BRIEF: Bill C-39, the Reckless Project Approvals Act (Brief)
BILL C-39, Unbuilding Canada’s Environmental Protections
C-39, The Build Canada Strong Act, launched the day Parliament resumed on September 21st, is designed to steamroll over environmental protections and project review processes to accelerate construction of road, rail, ports and nuclear projects.
The bill delivers the May 8th discussion paper‘s threat of transferring impact assessment of nuclear project’s from the independent Impact Assessment Agency to the nuclear industry led Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. You can follow Bill C-39 HERE.
Government of Canada News Release: "Government of Canada introduces legislation to transform how Canada builds"
Government of Canada: Bill C-39 Introduction
Government of Canada: Bill C-39
October 8 - Bill C-39 Referred to a Special Legislative Committee on Bill C-39
- Members
- Meetings
- Key dates: October 15 is the deadline for Committee members to suggest witnesses, October 26th 5 pm is the deadline for the public to submit briefs to the Committee on Bill C-39
Read submissions on the May Discussion Paper HERE for earlier but very related analysis and comments.
APTN News: First Nations oppose proposed ‘one-project, one-year’ bill following its first vote
Chiefs of Ontario, Anishnabek Nation, Nishnawbe Aski Nation: First Nations Leaders Reject Bill C-39
CELA BLOG: The Unjustifiable Demise of Federal Environmental Law
Mark Winfield in the Hill Times: Bill C-39 – Is Nostalgia a Strategy after all?
WCEL BRIEF: Bill C-39, the Reckless Project Approvals Act (Brief)
September 18, 2026
Designation of NWMO's Nuclear Waste Transportation and Burial Project as a "Project of National Interest"
The federal government announced its next step to short-circuit the review of a contentious nuclear waste project on Friday, September 18th. Notice was posted in the Canada Gazette that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO’s) Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project for all of Canada’s nuclear fuel waste is proposed for designation as a “Project of National Interest” under the Building Canada Act. This designation would guarantee project approval and would circumvent the Impact Assessment process. The Notice also indicates a reduced scope of any project review, eliminating long-distance transportation and long-term safety from whatever evaluation the federal government might employ in developing their conditions for the approval.
Government of Canada News Release: Canada takes next step in potential listing of Deep Geological Repository project under Building Canada Act
Gazette I Notice of October 26 Comment Deadline
Read Northwatch's Submission to the Impact Assessment Agency Registry for NWMO's DGR project HERE
We the Nuclear Free North Media Release
We the Nuclear Free North action alert: Send a message to the feds!
October 26th is the deadline for comments. Visit WTNFN's page Bypassing Public Review for links, info, tips.
The Nuclear Fist: Five Federal Initiatives Pushing and Promoting Nuclear Power
There are currently five federal nuclear related initiatives / announcements: “Getting Major Projects Built in Canada - Discussion Paper on Proposed Legislative, Regulatory, and Policy Reforms” announced May 8th with the deadline now extended to is now being delivered through the newest bully on the block, Bill C-39. C-39, The Build Canada Strong Act , launched the day Parliament resumed on September 21st.
The bill delivers the May 8th discussion paper 's threat of transferring impact assessment of nuclear project's from the independent Impact Assessment Agency to the nuclear industry led Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The electricity strategy “Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy” which was announced May 14 with comment invited but no deadline; the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment electrification study with the deadline – and the study – resumed its study with at its September 23rd committee meeting. The Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada announced June 22 with no comment invited and so no deadline for comment. The June 24 announcement of the potential “listing” of the NWMO DGR under the Build Canada Act (aka Bill C-5) was followed by a September 18th Notice posted in the Canada Gazette that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's (NWMO's) Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project for all of Canada's nuclear fuel waste is proposed for designation as a “Project of National Interest” under the Building Canada Act with a comment deadline of October 26th.
There are currently five federal nuclear related initiatives / announcements: “Getting Major Projects Built in Canada - Discussion Paper on Proposed Legislative, Regulatory, and Policy Reforms” announced May 8th with the deadline now extended to is now being delivered through the newest bully on the block, Bill C-39. C-39, The Build Canada Strong Act , launched the day Parliament resumed on September 21st.
The bill delivers the May 8th discussion paper 's threat of transferring impact assessment of nuclear project's from the independent Impact Assessment Agency to the nuclear industry led Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The electricity strategy “Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy” which was announced May 14 with comment invited but no deadline; the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment electrification study with the deadline – and the study – resumed its study with at its September 23rd committee meeting. The Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada announced June 22 with no comment invited and so no deadline for comment. The June 24 announcement of the potential “listing” of the NWMO DGR under the Build Canada Act (aka Bill C-5) was followed by a September 18th Notice posted in the Canada Gazette that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's (NWMO's) Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project for all of Canada's nuclear fuel waste is proposed for designation as a “Project of National Interest” under the Building Canada Act with a comment deadline of October 26th.
On Friday, May 8th the federal government released a Discussion Paper Delivering on Big Projects in Canada outlining the next rush to dismantle what remains of environmental assessment (now “impact” assessment following the last set of rollbacks).
July 22 Deadline to comment on "Delivering Big Projects" Discussion Paper
- If you have only one minute use our messaging tool HERE
- If you have five minutes send one-minute messages from various organizations. Find them HERE
- If you have ten minutes send an individual letter; you can find our template and key points HERE.
- If you are preparing or have sent a more detailed submission please share it with us and we will post it HERE.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to end independent assessment of nuclear projects and hand over this responsibility to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Why is this a bad idea? |
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The CNSC cannot be trusted because it:
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Nuclear power is uniquely complex and risky.
Fast-tracking nuclear projects is outright dangerous:
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What can you do?
Between now and July 22 you can provide comments on the government’s discussion paper. Following that, when legislation is tabled, you can comment on the legislation. Throughout this time, contact your Member of Parliament and members of Cabinet by email, phone and in-office visits and share your concerns about these changes, and the speed with which they are being made.
Between now and July 22 you can provide comments on the government’s discussion paper. Following that, when legislation is tabled, you can comment on the legislation. Throughout this time, contact your Member of Parliament and members of Cabinet by email, phone and in-office visits and share your concerns about these changes, and the speed with which they are being made.
READ SUBMISSIONS: Canadian Environmental Law Association Sinclair/Fitzpatick Environment North Additional submissions
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On Friday, May 8th the federal government unleashed a Discussion Paper Delivering on Big Projects in Canada outlining the next rush to dismantle what remains of environmental assessment (now “impact” assessment following the last set of rollbacks).
It will shorten and reduce all assessments, but it will hit nuclear projects particularly hard, handing the assessment process over to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. On June 4th the June 7th deadline for comment was extended to July 22nd. It had been expected that new legislation would follow quickly but in response to "feedback from thousands of stakeholders, Indigenous groups, and members of the public across the country" the comment period has been extended, and parliament does not normally sit over the summer, meaning legislation could be delayed until the fall. The “discussion paper” is HERE. The “engagement” page is HERE. Email comments to [email protected] Media coverage is HERE |
Le vendredi 8 mai, le gouvernement fédéral a publié un document de travail qui décrit un nouvel effort pour démanteler ce qui reste de l’évaluation environnementale (On parle maintenant «d’évaluation d’impacts » depuis les dernières mesures de démantèlement).
Ces mesures vont raccourcir et réduire toutes les évaluations, mais elles frapperont plus durement les projets nucléaires en confiant leur évaluation à la Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire. Le 4 juin, la date limite pour soumettre des commentaires, initialement fixée au 7 juin, a été reportée au 22 juillet. On s’attendait à ce qu’une nouvelle loi soit adoptée rapidement, mais en réponse aux « commentaires de milliers de parties prenantes, de groupes autochtones et de citoyens de partout au pays », la période de consultation a été prolongée. De plus, le Parlement ne siégeant généralement pas pendant l’été, l’adoption de la loi pourrait être reportée à l’automne. Le « document de travail » se trouve ICI. La page de « consultation » se trouve ICI. Envoyez votre réponse à [email protected] Read also / Lire aussi:
Photo credit: Alastair Grant / AP
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