Four Types Of Impact Assessment Used In Canada - NCCHPP

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Trigger,LegalObligation orCabinetDirective (.)6Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)British Columbia:Section 61 of the PublicHealth Act (2008) requiresthe Minister of Healthy Livingand Sport to do HIAs.For information concerningeach province’s stance onimplementing HIA legislationand activity, see d’Amour, StPierre and Ross, 2009.Nova Scotia: EnvironmentAct (1994-95)Newfoundland andLabrador: EnvironmentalProtection Act (2002)Prince Edward Island:Environmental Protection Act(1988)Nunavut: Nunavut LandClaims Agreement Act (1993)Yukon Territory: YukonEnvironmental and SocioEconomic Assessment Act(2003)Northwest Territories:MacKenzie Valley ResourceManagement Act (1998)(Rattle, 2009a).Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA) The CanadianEnvironmental ProtectionAct (1999) assesses newsubstances, such aschemicals, polymers andnanotechnologies, importedand manufactured inCanada for risks. It alsoassesses the chemicalsubstances used, importedor manufactured that arefound in the DomesticSubstances List (DSL); Finally, the HazardousProducts Act (1985) andthe Food and Drugs Act(1985) assess consumergoods such as cleaningproducts, bedding, pyjamasand cosmetics for risks(Saner, 2010; see “Table 1:Health Canada’s Six KeyProduct Classes”, p.8).Other risk assessmentlegislation is applied at thefederal and provincial levels,in various sectors.National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Place in thePolicy-makingProcessHealth Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)At the policy formulationstage (National CollaboratingCentre for Healthy PublicPolicy – NCCHPP, 2009a,adapted from Knoepfel,Larrue & Varone, 2001).“Throughout the projectcycle, beginning as early aspossible in the pre-feasibilitystage” (Sadler, 1996, cited inUNU 2007).At the policy formulationstage (Privy Council Office &Canadian EnvironmentalAssessment Agency, 2004).“In Canada andinternationally, regulatorysystems use a triage systemand balance the pre-market[extraction, etc.] and postmarket [consumption,disposal, etc.] surveillanceand assessment of risks. Thejudgement over theappropriate approach isbased on the basiccharacteristics and uses ofthe products that may causethe risks” (Saner, 2010, p.8).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec7

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )ObjectivesHealth Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)“To improve knowledgeabout the potential impact ofa policy or programme,inform decision-makers andaffected people, and facilitateadjustment of the proposedpolicy in order to mitigate thenegative and maximize thepositive impacts” (EuropeanCentre for Health Policy,cited in Parry & Stevens,2001, p.1177).“To determine the potentialenvironmental, social andhealth effects of a proposeddevelopment in a form thatpermits a logical and rationaldecision to be made” (Mindell& Joffe, 2003, p.109). “Ensure the fullTo provide formal scientificinput to government bodiesthat set occupational orenvironmental standards forregulating toxic exposures(Hertz-Picciotto, 1995). 8consideration of otherpolicy options, including the‘do nothing’, at an earlystage;Allow consistency acrossdifferent policy sectors,facilitating trade-offs;Ensure that more complex,distal and unintendedconsequences areconsidered, so that adverseimpacts can be prevented;Assess the environmentalimpact of policies withoutan overt environmentaldimension;Include environmental aswell as social andeconomic concerns indecision-making” (Mindell &Joffe, 2003, p.110).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)ImpactsConsidered:Humanhealth?Distribution ofimpacts?Effects onvulnerablegroups? Impact on healthIn Canada: Federal EIAlegislation includes a formalprocedure to assess healthimpact. A Health Canadadivision responds to queriesmade by ministries andorganizations that solicitexpert opinions within thecontext of this procedure(Gagnon & St-Pierre, 2007).However, it is unclearwhether impact on health, ondeterminants of health or onvulnerable populations issystematically taken intoconsideration in all cases,across the provinces andterritories. More general, less detailed“Health Canada’s mandatecovers the management ofhealth risks and benefits toindividual persons, humanpopulations and the naturalenvironment” (Saner, 2010);Almost exclusive focus onadverse effects of exposureto a single toxin (Corburn &Bhatia, 2007; Regens, Dietz,& Rycroft, 1983).Procedure1. Screening2. Scoping3. Appraisal4. Reporting5. Evaluation and monitoring(WHO, 1999).1.2.3.4.1. Preliminary scan2. Analysis of environmentaleffects3. Public consultation(“where appropriate”)4. Documentation andreporting(Privy Council Office &Canadian EnvironmentalAssessment Agency, 2004).determinants, according toDahlgren and Whiteheadmodel (1991). Consideration of thedistribution of impacts onvulnerable populations andof equity, in accordancewith recommendationsmade by the WHO,following the Commissionon the Social Determinantsof Health (WHO, 1-232009).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du QuébecScreeningScopingImpact analysisMitigation and impactmanagement5. Reporting(UNU, 2007).than EIA; In general, impact onhuman health notconsidered (Mindell &Joffe, 2003).1. Hazard identification2. Dose-responseassessment3. Exposure assessment4. Combination of allassessments tocharacterize risk(Mindell & Joffe, 2003).9

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)Data UsedQuantitative and qualitative:Scientific data andstakeholder input (“civicscience” (Harriman Gunn,2009)).Quantitative and qualitative.Quantitative and qualitative.Quantitative: Animal data andstatistical extrapolation(Hertz-Picciotto, 1995).PublicInvolvementYes, depending on the typeof HIA conducted(rapid/desktop, intermediate,comprehensive) (NCCHPP,2009b).“Public participation is animportant element of anenvironmental assessmentprocess” (CanadianEnvironmental AssessmentAgency, 2010).Yes, “where appropriate”(Privy Council Office &Canadian EnvironmentalAssessment Agency, 2004).“The public demand fortransparency raises the issueof how to provide interestedparties with reasonableaccess to proprietary riskassessment data. [Also,]access to indigenous andlocal knowledge issometimes important in thescience context” (Saner,2010, p.5).Strengths Increasing consensus that Systematic environmental Goes beyond impact of Creates awareness ofsocial and environmentalfactors are importantdeterminants of populationhealth; Way to operationalizehealth promotionframeworks (Cole et al.,2003); institutionalcommitments to socialjustice (Corburn & Bhatia,2007);review framework; Formally recognized andlegislated process; Consistencies inapplication and generalacceptability acrosssectors; Recognizes the importanceof public participation anddiverse sources ofinformation;site-specific projects(Harriman Gunn, 2009); Occurs early in the policymaking process (Mindell &Joffe, 2003).10hazards and risks; May allow for identificationof who may be at risk; Provides an indication ofwhether existing controlmeasures are adequate orif more should be done; Allows for prioritization ofhazards and controlmeasures (CanadianCentre for OccupationalHealth and Safety, 2006);National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strengths (.) Can occur relatively early inthe decision-makingprocess (formulation ofpolicy stage); Opportunity forstakeholders to be heard(Personal communication,June 3, 2010); Opportunity for coalitionbuilding. Integrates environmentalconsiderations acrossagencies, departments andsectors; Initiates consideration ofenvironmental impactsearly in the planningprocess; Allows for determiningmitigation and alternativeplanning options (Rattle,2009a).Limits Ad hoc tool rarely enforced Potential impact on humanby law; Difficult to predict healthoutcomes – increased levelof uncertainty (Cole et al.2003); Emphasis on procedureover substance (impact onpublic policy and decisionmaking process); Little empirical work testingHIA in practice; National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québechealth rarely considered(Mindell & Joffe, 2003);Assessment is performedwhen the project has beendecided-upon;Uncertainty: data arelimited, natural systems arecomplex;Reports are oftenexcessively long(thousands of pages);Inadequate and adversarialpublic participation;Emphasis on procedureover content (Cole et al.2004).Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA) Quantification of healtheffects can usefully informdecision making and canhighlight where theevidence base is strong(O’Connell & Hurley, 2009). In Canada: So far, SEA is onlypractised at the federallevel; Is perceived as an “ad hocexercise” in policy review,neither well-received norwell-adopted by federaldepartments and agencies; Does not exist outside ofthe Canadian federalCabinet Directive(Harriman Gunn, 2009). Uncertainty stemming frominterspecies extrapolation:Exposure experience inanimals is well-controlledand measured but it is apoor representation ofhuman experience; Often, neither human(epidemiological) noranimal (toxicological)studies can directly assesslevels of risk of interest toregulators (Hertz-Picciotto,1995);11

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Limits (.)12 Difficulty/reluctance foractors outside of health tobe familiar with healthconcepts and literature(Corburn & Bhatia, 2007;Rattle, 2009; Personalcommunication,June 3, 2010).Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA) “The high degree ofuncertainty surrounding thefactual basis of riskassessment is complicatedby frequent disagreementswithin the expertcommunity aboutinterpreting and evaluatingthese data [ ]; The boundary between thetechnical and politicalaspects of risk assessmentis vague and constantlyshifting. For example, risktends to be defined intechnical terms, butacceptability of risk islargely a political judgment”(Regens, Dietz, & Rycroft,1983, p.137). “The production of a singleestimate, or range ofestimates, [ ] can obscurethe complexities anduncertainties that underliethese figures” (O’Connell &Hurley, 2009, p.308).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )ExampleHealth Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)“The City of Toronto has agoal to divert 70% of theCity’s residential solid wastefrom landfill by the year 2010.It is believed that in order toachieve [this] goal, the Citywill need to develop aprocessing facility to furthercapture recoverables fromthe residual waste stream[ ]. Seven potential residualwaste diversion technologieswere considered andevaluated as potentialoptions to process theresidual waste. Screeningcriteria were established toevaluate the wasteprocessing technologies.Based on the evaluation,[only one technology]satisfied all of the initialscreening requirements [ ].In order to further evaluatethe potential wastemanagement options, theoptions for mixed wasteprocessing, and the option oflandfilling all of the residualwaste were subjected to a[ ] Health ImpactAssessment (HIA) screening.“Canadian NaturalResources Limited (CNRL)filed Application No. 1273113with the Alberta Energy andUtilities Board (EUB),pursuant to Sections 10 and11 of the Oil SandsConservation Act, forapproval for an oil sandsmine, a bitumen extractionplant, and a bitumenupgrader and associatedfacilities. The project,designed to produceapproximately 37 000 cubicmetres per day of upgradedbitumen product, would belocated approximately70 kilometres north of FortMcMurray. Projectconstruction wouldcommence in 2004, withinitial production in 2007 andfull production by 2011.The project required anenvironmental assessmentunder the CanadianEnvironmental AssessmentAct (CEAA).In accordance with theCabinet Directive on theEnvironmental Assessmentof Policy, Plan and ProgramProposals, a detailedStrategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA) wasconducted on the Proposal toReposition the CanadianBeef and Cattle Industry.“The SEA determined thatsignificant economic, socialand environmental riskscould arise from the currentBSE situation if governmentsfail to intervene. The primaryenvironmental risk extendsfrom financial pressures onproducers who, as a result oflimited domestic slaughtercapacity and low cattle pricesunder the current marketsituation, are faced with careand feeding of older animalsthat have little or noeconomic value. Through apackage of measures toaddress key economicpressures facing the industry,the proposed programming isexpected to have a netpositive impact on theenvironment.“Pesticides are designed to‘control, prevent, destroy,mitigate, attract or repel’pests. Because of theproperties and characteristicsthat make them effective fortheir intended purposes, theyalso may pose risks topeople and the environment[ ]. All pesticides must beregistered before they can besold or used in Canada.Therefore, the most commontrigger for initiating thedecision-making process is arequest for registration of anew pesticide or foramendments to an existingregistration. The identificationof the need for a reevaluation will also trigger thedecision-making process.The Pest Control ProductsAct (PCP Act) andRegulations is the primaryfederal legislation for theregulation of pesticides inCanada and governs theirimportation, manufacture,sale and use.National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec13

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Example (.)14Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)[ ] The Toronto PublicHealth (TPH) Health ImpactAssessment Frameworkidentifies the followingdeterminants of health: Environmental Factors (airquality, odour, surfacewater quality, groundwaterquality, land use,vegetation, noise and builtenvironment); Access to Service Factors(health services, education,social services,transportation and leisure); Lifestyle Factors (diet,physical activity, smoking,alcohol, drug use andsexual behaviour); Equality Factors (age, sex,minorities or disadvantagedgroup, and ability); and Socio-Economic Factors(income/poverty,employment, education,family cohesion, communityand social cohesion, crime,housing and socialexclusion).On June 26, 2003, thefederal Minister of Fisheriesand Oceans referred theenvironmental assessment ofthe project to a review panel.On August 18, 2003, Canadaand the EUB entered into anagreement to establish a jointenvironmental assessmentpanel (the Panel) for theproject. Under theagreement, the Panel wascharged with fulfilling thereview requirements of bothCEAA and the EnergyResources Conservation Act(ERCA).Some of the proposedprogramming to assist theindustry involves a potentialnegative impact on theenvironment, such as theincreased resource use andwaste generation associatedwith expansion of domesticslaughter capacity. Wherethese and other risks exist,mitigation measures havebeen identified or proposed”(Agriculture and Agri-foodCanada, 2004).This legislation entrenchesthe authority for riskassessment and riskmanagement baseddecisions, whereby the risksand value of a product mustbe considered acceptable bythe Minister for it to enter andremain on the market inCanada. The legislation alsoincludes provisions tofacilitate enforcement ofcompliance with the PCP Actand Regulations. It shouldalso be noted that provincialpesticide legislation plays animportant role in the overallprocess of pesticideregulation in Canada” (PestManagement RegulatoryAgency, 2000, p.1 and p.3).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du Québec

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaCOMPARISON OF FOUR TYPES OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT USED IN CANADA ( )Health Impact Assessment(HIA)Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Application of the PreScreening HealthDeterminants decision toolhelped identify that of the fivecategories of healthdeterminants [ ],environmental factors havethe greatest possible impacton human health for thewaste processing optionsunder consideration” (GolderAssociates, 2009, p.i).The Panel consideredApplication No. 1273113 at apublic hearing held in FortMcMurray, Alberta, duringSeptember 15-19, 22-26, and29, 2003. Participants whoprovided evidence at thehearing included CNRL andother oil sands developers,First Nations and localaboriginal groups, localresidents, nongovernmentenvironmental groups, a localmedical staff association, andrepresentatives from bothprovincial and federalregulatory agencies. Whileparticipants raised a numberof issues for the Panel toconsider, most issuescentred on the environmentalimpacts of the project and thesocioeconomic impacts ofrapid industrial development”(Alberta Energy and UtilitiesBoard and CanadianEnvironmental AssessmentAgency, 2004, p.ix).National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public PolicyInstitut national de santé publique du QuébecStrategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA)Risk Assessment (RA)15

Four Types of Impact Assessment Used in CanadaBIBLIOGRAPHYIn order to make this bibliography more user-friendly, it has been separated into two

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Risk Assessment (RA) Place in the Policy-making Process At the policy formulation stage (National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy - NCCHPP, 2009a, adapted from Knoepfel,