Compliance Promotion and Enforcement

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) is responsible for promoting, monitoring and enabling compliance with the Impact Assessment Act and any decision statements issued by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

The Agency's enforcement officers verify compliance and enforce the Impact Assessment Act and any conditions included in decision statements. Enforcement officers also apply a number of compliance, promotion and enforcement activities to encourage compliance with the new Act and avoid adverse effects on the environment. These activities include carrying out site inspections and investigations. Enforcement officers apply the Impact Assessment Act in a fair, predictable and consistent manner and they use the authorities and powers founded in this Act.

The Agency may also conduct its compliance promotion and enforcement activities in cooperation with other federal, provincial and territorial governments involved in enforcing Acts and Regulations complementary to the Impact Assessment Act.

Policies and Resources

The Agency has developed resources on how to handle compliance, promotion and enforcement activities:

Memorandum of Understanding

• Memorandum of Understanding between the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board

Policies

• Compliance Promotion and Enforcement Policy for designated projects subject to the Impact Assessment Act [PDF - 1.18MB]
• Compliance and Enforcement Policy for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 [PDF - 1 MB]

Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's Compliance Promotion and Enforcement Program
• Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's Compliance Promotion and Enforcement Program: Glossary

Policy and guidance documents related to the federal impact assessment process are available on the Policy and Guidance section of the Agency's website.

Transparency and Openness

To maintain openness, transparency and accountability, the Agency is committed to providing online access to information related to its inspection activities and enforcement actions.

Enforcement

When the Agency enforcement officers have reasonable grounds to believe that non-compliance has occurred, they use various enforcement actions to restore compliance.

• Enforcement Actions

Annual Summary of Inspection Activities

Annual summary of inspection activities conducted by Agency enforcement officers over the course of a fiscal year.

• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2021-2022)
• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2020-2021)
• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2019-2020)
• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2018-2019)
• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2017-2018)
• Annual Summary of Inspection Activities (2016-2017)

Proponent Submissions

After the completion of an impact assessment, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change must issue a decision statement. Decision statements may contain conditions requiring the proponent to submit annual reports, plans and implementation schedules (proponent submissions) to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. These records are posted by project to the Impact Assessment Registry of Canada.

Contact the Compliance Promotion and Enforcement Unit

If you have questions or comments about the Agency's compliance and enforcement program and policies, or if you have reason to believe that there has been a contravention of the Impact Assessment Act, you may report it to the Agency at: iaac.compliance-conformite.aeic@canada.ca

Privacy Notice

When you provide the Agency with a tip about a suspected offence or with any other information related to the enforcement of the Impact Assessment Act, your identity remains confidential in accordance with the federal Privacy Act.