The federal and provincial governments have waived requirements for additional impact assessments on the proposed Mihta Askiy data-centre project in Northern Alberta.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada announced its ruling for the planned project about 500 kilometres northwest of Edmonton in a March decision.

The agency said the proposed Woodland Cree First Nation-led project required “no further assessment,” because any concerns about federally governed components could be be met through existing regulatory frameworks tied to federal and Alberta legislation covering such issues as birds, fish, water and electricity.

“Decisions like these ensure that Canada’s impact assessment process is efficient by determining at an early stage whether further assessment is required or not,” said the IAAC in its ruling.

According to CBC, the Alberta government also waived the need for an additional impact assessment on the Mihta Askiy project The federal and provincial decisions follow earlier moves by the Alberta government to waive requirements for additional impact assessments on two other major proposed data centre developments: Synapse’s one-gigawatt campus in Olds and Kevin O’Leary-backed Wonder Valley, a proposed $70-billion, 7.5-gigawatt AI data centre project in Northern Alberta near Grande Prairie.

The Synapse proposal, which includes a 1.4-gigawatt natural gas power plant, has drawn opposition from nearby residents concerned about its location near homes and the speed of the approval process. Questions have also been raised about the proposed project’s water use, but the company has countered that Synapse would require minimal usage of the water table.

Ryan Fournier, a spokesman for Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, told CBC that “no data centre project has been allowed to bypass an environmental impact assessment,”

“Data centres in Alberta must follow the same environmental rules and regulations as any other industrial applicant,” he added.

“Environmental impact assessments are determined through an established legal process under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, and even where an EIA is not triggered, proponents must still obtain all required permits, provide detailed technical assessments on impacts to air, land, and water, and demonstrate the project can be built and operated safely before any project can proceed.”

David Wright, an associate University of Calgary law professor, criticized the provincial exemptions.

“What we’re seeing here is a new sector that’s very resource-intensive … including with respect to electricity generation and water use,” he told CBC. “And yet, at that very time when this new sector comes along, you see governments actually stepping back from environmental assessment and kind of going on faith that all is going to go well.”

The Woodland Cree are partnering on the proposed Mihta Askiy project with Sovereign Digital Infrastructure, The Indigenous group holds a 51% stake, while the Calgary-based company owns a 49% interest.

Image: Sovereign Digital Infrastructure