Enhanced Public Participation
For most proposals posted on the Registry, ministries are required to provide only a minimum level of public participation. But for some of the permits and licences that ministries grant (for example, Class II instruments, which have a higher level of risk and potential threat to the environment), the EBR requires that ministries provide additional notice, such as ads in local newspapers, at the time the instrument is posted on the Environmental Registry. Moreover, ministers are required by the EBR to provide for enhanced public participation (EPP). This can include the chance to speak directly to ministry decision-makers, public meetings, informal discussions or more formalized mediation. Enhanced public participation opportunities are at the discretion of ministry decision-makers, but if you wish to request EPP measures on an instrument proposal, you should consider the following options:
- Before the comment period on the proposal ends, write a letter to the ministry contact person outlining the types of EPP measures you are seeking. If possible, send a copy of your letter to the ECO.
- You can ask the minister to extend the comment period on the proposal, hold a public meeting, or allow you to make a presentation to the minister or ministry staff. You can also request that the minister initiate mediation on the proposal. The ministry will probably respond to your request with a letter, and in some cases, may repost the proposal and describe the EPP measures that have been agreed to by the minister.
The ECO reviews how these requests are handled by ministries.
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