New Municipal Project Assessment Process to Replace the Municipal Class EA on January 1, 2027

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) has finalized a new environmental assessment framework for municipal infrastructure. Effective January 1, 2027, the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) will be replaced by the Municipal Project Assessment Process (MPAP) for more complex municipal projects, with a separate Archaeological Assessment Process (AAP) applying to certain other projects. Until the new regulation comes into force, the existing MCEA process continues to apply.

The change narrows what triggers a full environmental assessment. The MPAP focuses EA Act requirements on more complex water, sewage, and shoreline or in-water works led by municipalities. Examples include new water treatment plants or expansions beyond rated capacity, new sewage treatment plants processing over 50,000 litres per day, sewage plant expansions of 25 percent or more, and new dams, breakwaters, groynes, or seawalls. For designated projects, public review and consultation can be completed in as little as five months.

Equally important is what moves out of scope. Under the new framework, all municipal roads, new parking lots in any location, bridge reconstructions with or without cultural heritage value, and all water crossings would no longer carry EA Act requirements. Many projects currently captured under Schedule B, along with smaller sewage plant expansions under Schedule C, are also removed.

Rather than exempting all of those lower-impact projects outright, the regulation introduces the Archaeological Assessment Process for certain project types, including certain road and road-related projects. The AAP requires proponents to obtain a list of potentially interested Indigenous communities, determine whether a project area has archaeological potential, retain a licensed archaeologist where warranted, and circulate draft and final summary reports with defined review periods before proceeding. The intent is to identify potential impacts to archaeological resources while maintaining opportunities for input from Indigenous communities.

The ministry has indicated it will spend the coming months developing guidance and working with municipalities and the broader development sector to support implementation and a smooth transition ahead of the January 1, 2027 date. It has also signalled that it will review the remaining Class EA processes and consult on any further changes before making them.

Good Roads is reviewing the new framework and its implications for member municipalities, with particular attention to the treatment of roads and bridges and the new archaeological assessment requirements. For more information please visit the Environmental Registry of Ontario. View the regulation here.