Assessment of the environmental regulations dealing with watercourse alterations in New Brunswick
Loading...
Date
1997
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of New Brunswick
Abstract
Watercourse alterations are any temporary or permanent changes made at, near or to a
watercourse or to water flow in a watercourse. They not only involve the physical
alterations of the watercourse, they include all activities taking place within a prescribed
distance of the bank of any watercourse involving a disturbance of water, soil or
vegetation (Watercourse Alterations Technical Guidelines, 1994). The installation and
repair of culverts is a common watercourse alteration in New Brunswick. Watercourse
alterations are carefully evaluated according to the pertinent environmental regulations.
The jurisdiction of the federal and provincial government in the area of environmental
legislation is not divided by geographical boundaries. As a result, overlaps and
inconsistencies exist in the environmental process. The diversity of the regulations and
the different fields of jurisdiction add to the complexity of the process. For engineers,
contractors, or others responsible for engineering or construction projects, overlaps or
inconsistencies in the environmental process posse a challenge. Failure to comply with
any term or condition of approval, licence, permit, registration, determination or
exemption issued or granted, or violation of any provisions of the statutes or regulations
can result in fines, lost wages, and delay in the work schedule.
In relation to watercourse alterations, several initiatives have been implemented to
simplify and accelerate the process, such as the introduction of the Provisional
Watercourse Alteration Permit. These developments are a clear indication of the need to keep improving the environmental process.
The goal of this report is to assess the current environmental process dealing with watercourse alterations, to identify overlaps, gaps and conflicts, and to make recommendations to improve the process. The focus will be on the current policies, technical al guidelines and standards, recommended by the provincial departments in New Brunswick, for the installation and repair of culverts on private, freehold, and crown lands.