Alberta launches second court challenge to federal Impact Assessment Act

Alberta is once again taking the federal government to court over Ottawa’s attempt to review and block major infrastructure projects like mines and pipelines on environmental grounds, Premier Danielle Smith said.The province on Thursday launched a second challenge to Ottawa’s Impact Assessment Act, which the federal government enacted in 2019. The province contested the act from the outset and the Supreme Court of Canada, in a 2023 non-binding opinion, advised that Ottawa overstepped its constitutional authority.The federal government, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, amended the act in June, attempting to satisfy the court’s concerns. The changes, however, did little to satiate Alberta. Ms. Smith, on Oct. 4, warned Alberta would revive its legal strategy if Ottawa did not adequately respond to its concerns by Nov. 1.