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Bill C-45 removes all environmental protection from waterways and Lagimodier adds this is setting the stage for a westbound pipeline.
"They've gone from strict controls and environmental guidelines around developing near water that protected tens of thousands of bodies of water," he said.
"With unprotected waterways it makes it easier for industry to develop in and around water or put a pipeline under a river."
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I spoke with someone at Alberta Environment about this and they said this was just the Federal government offloading work onto the provinces. Previously there were 400 or so water bodies that were more important than others so both the federal and provincial governments approved them. Now for the most part it is just the provincial government.
Every water body on public land is protected in Alberta including the 3" wide ephemeral draws and small muskeg areas. Any application to cross or disturb them has strict requirements from the provinces with mitigation plans that must be in place to reduce damages. We get fish biologists out to check on the crossing applications if there is even a chance that the water can flow into a fish bearing water body within a few kilometers.