An assessment of public participation under the Manitoba Environment Act.

摘要

This study was undertaken for the purpose of providing the Manitoba Environment Department with an assessment of public participation activities under the Manitoba Environment Act.;The introduction of the public registries was considered to be a positive step by study respondents. There was a general perception held by participants that the government does not encourage participation at an early enough stage in environmental decision making.;Some concerns were raised regarding a perception that public hearings are designed so the public has input into making projects acceptable, and not as to whether or not they should be authorized.;Concerns were raised about the technical nature of major hearings and the difficulty for public presenters to have well researched material in their presentations.;Participants generally felt that the hearing process should consider accepting presentations that address the broader scope of environmental issues and the publics' values regarding large projects.;Comparisons of public participation activities among provincial legislation and federal initiatives has shown that the public is encouraged to be active in environmental assessment reviews, hearings and regulation development. Manitoba and the FEARO process have made efforts to encourage public input earlier into the planning stages of environmental assessment processes, through input into project proposals and guidelines for environmental impact assessments. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)