Ottawa and Ontario announce deal to scrap Highway 413 impact assessment

Ontario and the federal government say they have reached a deal to drop an assessment of the province's Highway 413 project after the Federal Court ruled it can be set aside.

In a news release on Monday, officials said the provincial and federal governments have agreed to a «collaborative process to assess and manage the issues around federal species at risk throughout Ontario's planning of the project.»

The new deal means the highway project can proceed without a full-fledged federal environmental assessment.

According to the release, the Federal Court has agreed to cancel the project's designation under the Impact Assessment Act. Both levels of government had filed a joint consent order with the court on March 20 that had asked the judge to discontinue the federal environment assessment for the project.

A memo of understanding has been signed between the Ontario transportation ministry and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to set up a joint working group in which federal and provincial officials «will recommend appropriate measures to minimize environmental impacts in areas of federal environmental jurisdiction,» the province said in the release.

According to the province, the working group will use its «collective expertise» to protect the environment and ensure impacts to species at risk, such as the Western chorus frog and the red-headed woodpecker, and their critical habitats are considered before the project moves into a design stage.

The province added that its own environmental assessment process is «well underway» and it is committed to building projects that minimize environmental impacts.

«Both Canada and Ontario have robust and transparent regulatory regimes to ensure the environment is protected before major