Federal environment minister to undertake Highway 413 environmental assessment
Highway 413 #Highway413
The federal government says it will undertake an environmental assessment of a controversial proposed highway in the northwestern GTA.
Highway 413 has drawn criticism from environmental advocates, who fear the nearly 60-kilometre road will drive up greenhouse gas emissions in the millions of tonnes over the next three decades.
A statement from Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson released on Monday says the federal impact assessment agency, along with other departments, “have identified clear areas of federal concern related to this project.”
“After careful consideration of the available science, evidence and other relevant information gathered by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, as well as the Agency’s recommendation to designate the GTA West project, I have decided to designate this project under the federal impact assessment process,” the statement says.
The move comes just weeks after a group of nearly 60 scientists appealed to Wilkinson to perform its own assessment of the highway.
“My decision is based on their finding that this project may cause adverse direct or incidental effects on federally-listed species at risk, and the uncertainty that officials have brought to my attention around whether those effects can be mitigated through project design or existing mechanisms,” Wilkinson’s statement continues.
A decades-old idea that was abandoned by Kathleen Wynne’s government and then resurrected under Premier Doug Ford, Highway 413 has been the target of significant criticism in the region.
A number of councils, including Toronto, Mississauga, Orangeville, and Halton Hills, have all passed motions voicing their opposition.
The province, meanwhile, has maintained that the highway is necessary to serve a rapidly growing population and take the pressure off congested roads.