OTTAWA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Canadian government, seeking to address unhappiness about the potential environmental impact of major projects, on Thursday unveiled draft legislation to change how oil pipelines and mines are assessed.
The bill, which officials say could become law by mid-2019, will create a new Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to probe the possible consequences of proposed projects on federally regulated land.
That task is currently divided between three entities, a system the ruling Liberals say Canadians no longer trust.
A government briefing document said the new law would cut the time taken to carry out reviews. Energy industry players have complained it can take years for a review to be completed.