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His Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of
Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances,
in the manner and for the purposes set out in a measure entitled ``An Act
respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment
and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development''.
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This enactment repeals and replaces the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act. Among the changes are provisions to implement
pollution prevention, new procedures for the investigation and
assessment of substances and new requirements with respect to
substances that the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of
Health have determined to be toxic or capable of becoming toxic within
the meaning of Part 5, and provisions regarding animate products of
biotechnology. The enactment also contains new provisions respecting
fuels, international air and water pollution, motor emissions, nutrients
whose release into water can cause excessive growth of aquatic
vegetation and environmental emergencies, provisions to regulate the
environmental effects of government operations and to protect the
environment on and in relation to federal land and aboriginal land,
disposal of wastes and other matter at sea, and the export and import of
wastes.
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The enactment provides for the gathering of information for research
and the creation of inventories of data, which are designed for
publication, and for the development and publishing of objectives,
guidelines and codes of practice. The enactment also provides new
powers for enforcement officers and analysts appointed by the Minister
of the Environment to enforce the law. Environmental protection
alternative measures and environmental protection compliance orders
provide new mechanisms for the resolution of a contravention. The
enactment also specifies criteria for courts to consider on imposing a
sentence on an offender.
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In addition, the enactment contains new rights for Canadians who,
through written comments or notices of objection to the Minister of the
Environment, may participate in decisions on environmental matters,
may compel the Minister to investigate an alleged contravention of the
Act, and may bring a civil action when the federal government is not
enforcing the law. Aboriginal governments are provided the right of
representation on the National Advisory Committee to be established
under the enactment and, like the provinces and territories, may seek to
have their laws declared equivalent to regulations under the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
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