Procedure for the Public Session with Facilitator
Document Reference Number: 43
Marine Terminal Project on the North Shore of the Saguenay Federal Environmental Assessment
1. Introduction
- 1.1. This document sets out the procedures to be followed by participants in the public sessions scheduled for October 5 and 6, 2016 between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on the review of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Marine Terminal Project on the North Shore of the Saguenay prepared by the Saguenay Port Authority. The Agency is responsible for conducting the environmental assessment of this project required under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012) in collaboration with a technical committee composed of representatives from the federal and Quebec governments.
- 1.2. These procedures are designed to permit the participation of all interested individuals and maintain a calm and respectful atmosphere.
- 1.3.The objectives of the public session are to:
- enable members of the public to have access to the same information at the same time, and to hear the public's concerns and comments and the responses of the technical committee concerning the environmental assessment of the project and the technical analysis of the Environmental Impact Statement;
- enable the public to ask the proponent questions about its Environmental Impact Statement; and
- collect the public's questions and comments concerning the Environmental Impact Statement.
- 1.4. Anyone interested in attending the public sessions should do so at the prescribed time; pre-registration is not required.
- 1.5. Anyone who wants to ask questions or provide comments at the public session is asked to do so at the microphone during the evening. The right to speak will be given by the facilitator.
- 1.6. Public sessions are part of the consultation activities on the Environmental Impact Statement scheduled between September 14 and October 18, 2016. During this period, all interested persons may also submit their questions and comments in writing to the Agency at the following email address: ACEE.ProjetTerminalSaguenay-SaguenayTerminalProject.CEAA@acee-ceaa.gc.ca.
- 1.7. Members of the public may attend the session for the sole purpose of obtaining information. Session attendees are not required to ask questions.
2. Conduct of the public session
- 2.1. The facilitator will ensure that the public session runs smoothly by seeing to it that the rules of participation are followed (Appendix 1) and by ensuring good communication between individuals asking questions, the representatives of the technical committee for the environmental assessment and the Agency, and the proponent.
- 2.2. During the public session, the Agency will outline the objectives of the consultation and the method of analysis used by the technical committee. Then, the proponent will present its Environmental Impact Statement. Thereafter, people will be invited by the facilitator to pose questions or comments.
3. The technical committee
- 3.1. The facilitator will redirect all questions from the public concerning the technical committee to its representatives attending the public session. The committee is composed of representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Transport Canada, the Laurentian Pilotage Authority, Parks Canada and Natural Resources Canada, as well as representatives from the ministères du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les Changements climatiques du Quebec.
4. Maintaining order
- 4.1. The facilitator will ensure that the rules of participation are followed during the consultation (Appendix 1); the rules are designed to facilitate the participation of all interested persons and maintain a climate conducive to discussion. The facilitator reserves the right to interrupt any individual who fails to abide by the rules of participation.
5. Media
- 5.1. An employee from the Agency's communications branch will act as the media contact during the public session. All media are asked to identify themselves to this person.
- 5.2. Media who want to film or take photos of the event are asked to notify the employee from the Agency's communications branch upon their arrival.
- 5.3. Media representatives shall direct any questions to the employee from the Agency's communications branch.
- 5.4. Media are asked to restrain from doing interviews during the public session. Interviews should be made before or after the event.
Appendix I
Rules of Participation
Public Session – Analysis of the Environmental Impact Statement
Marine Terminal Project on the North Shore of the Saguenay
The rules of participation in the public session are designed to facilitate the participation of all interested persons and ensure respect for participants, the proponent, its consultants and the members of the technical committee making up the panel. They are also designed to maintain a climate conducive to discussion in order to gather questions and comments from the public concerning the proponent's Environmental Impact Statement.
All participants in the consultation process agree to abide by the following rules:
- The facilitator will inform participants and resource persons when it is their turn to speak.
- The microphone of the facilitator is always open. When the facilitator speaks, the other microphones are automatically closed.
- The questions and comments must relate to the project under study and the Environmental Impact Statement or the environmental assessment process. This consultation takes place during the period where the technical committee members analyze the Environmental Impact Statement of the proponent. It is thus possible that the committee may not be able to answer certain questions, since his analysis is not completed.
- Questions must be directed to the facilitator, who will refer them to the appropriate resource person. Individuals are invited to mention their name and their group affiliation if applicable.
- A maximum of 2 questions or comments can be provided at a time. A maximum of 5 minutes will be allowed per question in order to give as many individuals as possible an opportunity to speak. Sub-questions associated with a main question will be considered a second question. It is possible for an individual to ask more questions later in the evening by coming back at the microphone.
- The discussions must ensure respect for all individuals. Participants are asked to present their questions in a calm and moderate tone. Personal attacks and abusive or threatening language will not be tolerated.
- Individuals must avoid applauding or being noisy during the questions and answers to allow the assembly to hear what is being said.
The facilitator reserves the right to interrupt the participant or end the session if the rules of participation are not followed.