The Class Environmental Assessment Process

This study is currently being completed as a Group ‘B’ project in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), which includes major improvements to existing transportation facilities. The MTO Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000) provides a decision-making process to ensure that all relevant engineering and environmental factors are considered in the planning and design of transportation facilities. In 2019, modernization of MTO’s Class EA was initiated. The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, whose ministry regulates MTO’s Class EA, approved amendments to the Class EA on December 13, 2023, and February 22, 2024. As part of the amendments, the Class EA has been renamed to the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities and Municipal Expressways (2024). An overview of the 2024 Class EA process is provided in the figure below.

Some ongoing projects are eligible to transition from following the 2000 Class EA process to following the new 2024 Class EA process. This study is eligible for transition under Section 11.2.3.2 (Transition Requirements for Projects that Completed Preliminary Design). Transitioning to the new 2024 Class EA process improves the planning process of projects beyond the Preliminary Design stage and brings MTO into alignment with best practices observed in other Class EA frameworks. Transitioning from the requirements of the 2000 Class EA to the 2024 Class EA also optimizes the assessment process by removing redundancies and expediting project planning to facilitate a more streamlined implementation process. As such, this study is proposed to be transitioned to follow the new 2024 Class EA process. Commitments made during the Preliminary Design phase will be addressed as the study progresses through the design process.

Preliminary Design of this project is complete and is documented in the Transportation Environmental Study Report (2008) and Transportation Environmental Study Report Addendum (2022). The project is in the Implementation stage (i.e., Detail Design).

Learn more about the Class Environmental Assessment process here.

Figure identifying the new formal Class Environmental Assessment process as of 2024. The two stages of the new Class EA are the Planning and Preliminary Design stages. Before these stages occur, a Pre-Planning stage may be undertaken to define the project’s problems and opportunities and to consider Alternatives to the Undertaking. The Pre-Planning stage is not a component of the 2024 Class EA. The Planning stage reviews any Pre-Planning results, confirms the Alternatives to the Undertaking, and considers Alternative Design Methods to implement the project. The Preliminary Design Stage then identifies, evaluates, and selects the Preferred Alternative Design Method for the project. Following Preliminary Design, the project enters the Implementation stage, which includes Detail Design, construction, and/or monitoring of the project. The Implementation stage is not a component of the 2024 Class EA. Consultation is undertaken with agencies, Indigenous communities, and the public throughout all stages of the project