Province to review environmental impact assessment process for biomass projects

The Forestry Commission has presented government with the first comprehensive review of the biomass heating sector in PEI.  In implementing the PEI Forestry Commission’s recommendations on biomass, the province will review and update its process for assessing proposed biomass projects that require an environmental impact assessment.  Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers says the commission rightly pointed out that the environmental assessment process for new projects needs to take a closer look at the impact of harvesting wood for biomass.  Myers says that would be in terms of both preserving our forests and understanding the net impact on carbon emissions.  He says the recommendation to amend the existing environmental impact assessment process makes a great deal of sense to him and work will begin work on this immediately.