Overview

• Larger biomass, biogas, clean fuel, and small modular reactor (SMR) projects have been reclassified under the faster 50-day Class 1 assessment process.
• Public and Mi’kmaq consultation periods for Class 1 projects have been extended from 30 to 40 days to ensure more meaningful engagement.
• The rigorous multi-year Class 2 review is now reserved for heavy industrial projects such as pulp mills, cement plants, and incinerators.
• Smaller wood biomass operations are exempt from environmental reviews and will instead be managed through the industrial approval process.
• Environment Minister Tim Halman emphasized that the changes are critical for Nova Scotia to meet its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target.