Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna and the Chair of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) Dr. Scott Streiner have announced the establishment of a three-member panel to review Canadian National Railway’s (CN) proposed Milton Logistics Hub Project in Ontario. The project, located in Milton, Ontario, about 50 km west of Toronto, would include a railway yard with more than 20 km of track.
The Minister has appointed Lesley Griffiths as the Chair of the Review Panel and Dr. Isobel Heathcote and William McMurray as panel members. McMurray is a member of the CTA and has been assigned by the CTA Chair to decide whether the proposed rail construction should be approved under section 98 of the Canada Transportation Act.
The Agreement to Establish a Joint Process for the Review of the Milton Logistics Hub Project establishes the mandate and authority of the Panel, as well as the procedures and timelines for the conduct of the review. The Panel will conduct an assessment of the environmental effects of the project; consider Aboriginal tradition, comments received from the public and mitigation measures; conclude whether the project is likely to cause adverse effects; and identify required follow-up programs.
Information will be gathered to assist the CTA in its assessment of the reasonableness of the location of the new rail lines, the requirements for the railway operations and the interests of the localities that could be affected by the lines.