EAO to Minister Lake: Don't give bottling project an EA

In February, FOBI and other ENGOs asked the Minister of Energy to make the 34 water licence applications in four coastal inlets a reviewable project under the Environmental Assessment Act. Ignored by the Minister, the groups sought the assistance of MLA Claire Trevena, and in May, met with Minister Terry Lake to table their concerns.

A recommendation was made to the Minister at the end of June, and posted quietly to the EAO website in August (with a previously unknown project name - Mainland Coast Bottled Water Project). The public could not have known of this and in fact FOBI was only advised of it in October. The 34 water license applications would be treated as a coordinated project, but would not be reviewed by the Environmental Assessment Office.

Recommendation of the Executive Director of the EAO to Minister Lake, June 28, 2011

Mainland Coast Bottled Water Overview Environmental Screening and Preliminary Environmental Assessment, November 22, 2010

Mainland Coast Bottled Water EPIC webpage at the EAO.