Cumulative effects assessment and regional planning in southern Ontario

The development of Cumulative Effects Assessment as a concept is a continuation of the environmental concerns that arose during the 1960s for widespread environmental degradation from point sources of pollution. The evolution of the environmental movement resulted in the development of regulatory agencies and strategies for dealing with point sources of pollution. Environmental impact assessments emerged in the early 1970s as the panacea to ensure that environmental degradation from large proponent driven projects could be managed. An increase in small industries, urbanization and development, and in the intensity of agriculture has created another type of problem much more insidious than those presented by “big” industry. These activities are not always large enough to warrant an environmental impact assessment but when added to other development activities in an area could result in significant changes to the environment. This, in turn, has resulted in incremental changes in the environment.