Project Agreements

What is a Project Agreement?

A Project Agreement is an agreement between federal Deputy Ministers that outlines the process by which federal departments or agencies will carry out their particular roles or responsibilities during the federal regulatory review of a proposed major resource project. The agreement includes a timeline and schedule for the completion of the regulatory review with regular milestones to allow tracking of progress.

In general, for projects that fall under the MPMO initiative, following the receipt of a completed Project Description (see Proponent Guide to Submitting a Project Description), all relevant departments and agencies will work collaboratively, under the leadership of the MPMO, to develop a Project Agreement.

Why are Project Agreements important?

Project agreements are a key coordination tool.

Project Agreements serve as a key coordination tool to ensure that the discharge of federal statutory duties is completed in a more coordinated, efficient and effective manner. All project agreements contain coordinated work plans that outline the particular roles and responsibilities of federal departments and agencies throughout the entire lifecycle of a particular regulatory review process. Project Agreements can include the following coordinated work plans:

• an Environmental Assessment work plan;
• an Aboriginal Consultation and Engagement work plan;
• a Permitting, Authorizations and Approvals work plan; and
• a Follow-Up and Monitoring work plan.

Project Agreements are an important accountability mechanism.

Project Agreements articulate the obligations and best effort commitments of departments and agencies during the federal regulatory review of a major resource project. Project Agreements are signed by the Deputy Ministers of these organizations to ensure that obligations and commitments are backed by senior-level accountability.

Each agreement will include a process timeline with clear milestones and service standards to ensure that the review process is completed in a timely and predictable manner. Once signed, all Project Agreements will be posted publicly on the Internet to ensure transparency. The MPMO will track and monitor the progress against agreed-upon timelines and milestones though its publicly-accessible monitoring and tracking system – the MPMO Tracker – and through regular reporting to Deputy Ministers and Ministers. Milestones and service standards will serve as a basis to measure improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the MPMO process.

Current Project Agreements (in alphabetical order)

• Bruce Power New Nuclear Power Plant Project at Kincardine, Ontario
• Bute Inlet Hydroelectric in British Columbia
• Canpotex Potash Export Terminal and the Ridley Island Road, Rail and Utility Corridor Project in British Columbia
• Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant at Clarington, Ontario
• Detour Lake Gold Mine in Ontario
• Direct Shipping Iron Ore Mine Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec
• Hebron Offshore Oil Development Project in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell Copper-Mine in British Columbia
• Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Matoush Uranium Exploration Ramp Access Project in the Province of Quebec
• Midwest Uranium Mining and Milling Project in Saskatchewan
• Millennium Uranium Mine Project in Saskatchewan
• Morrison Copper-Gold Mine in British Columbia
• Naikun Offshore Wind Energy Project in Hecate Strait, Canada
  
• Nanticoke Nuclear Power Plant Project in Ontario
• Northern Gateway Pipelines Project in Alberta And British Columbia
• Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. Groundbirch Pipeline Project
• Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. Horn River Mainline Pipeline Project
• Ontario Power Generation Deep Geologic Repository at Kincardine, Ontario
• Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine in British Columbia
• Star-Orion South Diamond Mine Project in Saskatchewan
• Transcanada Keystone XL Pipelines Project
• Terrane Metals Mt. Milligan Gold-copper Mine Project In British Columbia