Fitzpatrick, Patricia

The role of critical education in an environmental assessment that includes hearings.

Otawa /CAN

2001

A Thesis/Practicum; University of Manitoba; Faculty of Graduate Studies

How does education and leaming occur through an environmental assessment that includes panel review? This was my centrai research question for a recent study of the Sable Gas Paael Review that applied the phiiosophy of critical education and the theoy of transformative leamkg to activities and participants involved in the panel review. The Sable Gas Panel Review was an environmental assessment of a natutal gas pro ject situated in the Maritimes. This project, a joint venture among hlobil Oit Canada, Shell Canada Lirnited and three partners, was designed to extract six offshore reserves, and transport natural gas to a processing plant, to be built near Goldboro, Nova Scot& Gas would then be ttansported to markets in the United States through a pipeiine constructed tbrough Nova Scotia and New Brunswick by the Matitimes and Northeast Pipeline Company. Primary data coilectioa emphasized the use of semi-structured interviews to
record the experientially-based observations of panel participants. This information was supported by a review of material submittcd by hearing participants for consideration by the panel, and complemen ted w i th Li terature related to environmen ta1 assessment, eaviroarnen tal education, and transformational leamhg theories. Findings of this study coutribute to a larger body of literature related to the role of uansfomative learning ia environmental assessment. Results iiiustrate the types of educatiod opporhinities, such as a class on how to participate in a quasi-judicial hearing, that can &se out of the panel review process, and explore the learning outcornes of participants, such as a new understanding of the implications of heaMg residmtial homes with namal gas. A discussion of the findhgs suggests that with increased input uito EA, opportunities for catical 1earriing about the proposal and potentiai project impacts may improve public participants' perceptions of the heacings process. Criticai education and transformative lehg serve as frameworks for considering the design and implementation of adult leaming within the existing hearings
process. Recommendations for improving public perception of EA by addressing the cornponents of transfonnational leaming include both minor modifications to the existing assasmen t process, and long-temi normative and strategic changes to government policy and planning.

abstract

acknowledgements

table of contens

list of figures

chapter 1: introduction

1.1 background
1.2 purose and objectives
1.3 case setting: the sable gas panel review
1.4 significance of the study
1.5 precepts
1.6 definition of key concepts
1.7 organization of thesis

chapter 2: review of relvant literature

2.1 environmental assessment

2.1.1 the canadian environmental assessment act

2.2 participatory democracy

2.2.1 public participation in EA
2.2.2 degree of participation

2.3 critical pedagogy

2.3.1 critical education

2.4 transformative learning theory

2.4.1 perspective transformation
2.4.2 learning process
2.4.3 conditions for learning

2.5 conceptual relationship

2.6 Summary

chapter 3: methodology

3.1 case selection

3.1.1 public registry
3.1.2 survey design
3.1.3 sampe selection

3.3 data analysis

3.3.1 trustworthiness

chapter 4: public engagement

4.1 panel review process

4.2 panel activities

4.2.1 scoping and information meetings
4.2.2 written submissions
4.2.3 hearings

4.3 industry and non-governmental activities

4.3.1 media coverage of hearings

4.4 analysis of tools for fostering public engagement

4.5 effect of tools on participation

4.5.1 finding out about the proposed project and assessment

4.6 discussion

4.7 Summary

chapter 5: critical education

5.1 environmental assessment that includes panel hearings

5.1.1 capacity development
5.1.2 data collection
5.1.3 decision making process
5.1.4 themes applied throughout the assessment

5.2 opportunities for critical education in the sable gas panel review

5.2.1 participatory

5.2.2 situated
5.2.3 critical
5.2.4 democratic
5.2.5 dialogic
5.2.6 desocialization
5.2.7 multicultural
5.2.8 research-oriented
5.2.9 activist
5.2.10 affenctive
5.2.11 additional considerations

5.3 Summary

chapter 6: transformative learning

6.1 learning throught participation in the sable gas panel review

6.1.1 why did you choose to participate in the sable gas panel review?
6.1.2 what did you learn through you participation in the assessment process?
6.1.3 what do you think you should have learned through your participation the assessment process?
6.1.4 did participation in this EA influence your current livestyle
6.1.5 have you had an opportunity to use whaat you learned since the review?

6.2 discussion

6.3 Summary

chapter 7: conclusions and recommendations

7.1 what are the dimensions characteristics and motives of EA participants?

7.2 what are the dimensions of adult education in a panel review?

7.3 what are the dimensions of the learning experiences EA participants?

7.4 personal learning

7.5 Summary of recommendations

references

appendix A

public survey

government, panel secretariat and industry survey

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25.04.2018