(o) directing the offender to pay, in the manner prescribed by the court, an amount to environmental, health or other groups to assist in their work in the community where the offence was committed;

    (p) directing the offender to pay, in the manner prescribed by the court, an amount to an educational institution for scholarships for students enrolled in environmental studies; and

    (q) requiring the offender to comply with any other reasonable conditions that the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances for securing the offender's good conduct and for preventing the offender from repeating the same offence or committing other offences.

Publication

(2) Where an offender fails to comply with an order made under paragraph (1)(g) directing the publication of the facts relating to the offence, the Minister may publish the facts in compliance with the order and recover the costs of publication from the offender.

Debt due to Her Majesty

(3) Where the court makes an order under paragraph (1)(k) directing an offender to pay costs or the Minister incurs publication costs under subsection (2), the costs constitute a debt due to Her Majesty in right of Canada and may be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Coming into force and duration of order

(4) An order made under subsection (1) comes into force on the day on which it is made or on any other day that the court may determine and shall not continue in force for more than three years after that day.

Compensation for loss of property

292. (1) Where an offender has been convicted of an offence under this Act, the court may, at the time sentence is imposed and on the application of the person aggrieved, order the offender to pay to that person an amount by way of satisfaction or compensation for loss of or damage to property suffered by that person as a result of the commission of the offence.

Enforcement

(2) Where an amount that is ordered to be paid under subsection (1) is not paid forthwith, the applicant may, by filing the order, enter as a judgment, in the superior court of the province in which the trial was held, the amount ordered to be paid, and that judgment is enforceable against the offender in the same manner as if it were a judgment rendered against the offender in that court in civil proceedings.

Variation of sanctions

293. (1) Subject to subsection (2), where a court has made, in relation to an offender, an order or direction under section 288, 289 or 291, the court may, on application by the offender or the Attorney General, require the offender to appear before it and, after hearing the offender and the Attorney General, vary the order in one or any combination of the following ways that is applicable and, in the opinion of the court, is rendered desirable by a change in the circumstances of the offender since the order was made:

    (a) make changes in the order or the conditions specified in it or extend the period for which the order is to remain in force for any period, not exceeding one year, that the court considers desirable; or

    (b) decrease the period for which the order is to remain in force or relieve the offender, either absolutely or partially or for any period that the court considers desirable, of compliance with any condition that is specified in the order.

Notice

(2) Before making an order under subsection (1), the court may direct that notice be given to any persons that the court considers to be interested and may hear any such person.

Subsequent applications with leave

294. Where an application made under section 293 in respect of an offender has been heard by a court, no other application may be made under that section with respect to the offender except with leave of the court.

Environmental Protection Alternative Measures

Definitions

295. The definitions in this section apply in sections 296 to 309.

``agreement''
« accord »

``agreement'' means an agreement respecting environmental protection alternative measures.

``Attorney General''
« procureur général »

``Attorney General'' means the Attorney General of Canada or an agent of the Attorney General of Canada.

``environment al protection alternative measures''
« mesures de rechange »

``environmental protection alternative measures'' means measures, other than judicial proceedings, that are used to deal with a person who is alleged to have committed an offence under this Act.

``person''
« personne »

``person'' includes individuals, Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province and public bodies, bodies corporate, societies and companies.

When measures may be used

296. (1) Environmental protection alternative measures may be used to deal with a person who is alleged to have committed an offence under this Act only if it is not inconsistent with the purposes of this Act and the following conditions are met:

    (a) the measures are part of a program of environmental protection alternative measures authorized by the Attorney General, after consultation with the Minister;

    (b) the offence alleged to have been committed is an offence under this Act, except an offence under

      (i) paragraph 272(1)(a) or (b), in respect of subsection 16(4), 81(1), (2), (3) or (4), 82(1) or (2), 84(2) or 96(4), section 99, subsection 106(1), (2), (3) or (4), 107(1) or (2), 109(1) or (2), 119(1), 148(1), 202(4) or 213(4) or section 227 or 228,

      (ii) paragraph 272(1)(c), (d) or (e),

      (iii) subsection 273(1), if the offence is committed knowingly, or

      (iv) subsection 274(1) or (2);

    (c) an information has been laid in respect of the offence;

    (d) the Attorney General, after consulting with the Minister, is satisfied that they would be appropriate, having regard to the nature of the offence, the circumstances surrounding its commission and the following factors, namely,

      (i) the protection of the environment and of human life and health and other interests of society,

      (ii) the person's history of compliance with this Act,

      (iii) whether the offence is a repeated occurrence,

      (iv) any allegation that information is being or was concealed or other attempts to subvert the purposes and requirements of this Act are being or have been made, and

      (v) whether any remedial or preventive action has been taken by or on behalf of the person in relation to the offence;

    (e) the person has been advised of the right to be represented by counsel;

    (f) the person accepts responsibility for the act or omission that forms the basis of the offence that the person is alleged to have committed;

    (g) the person applies, in accordance with regulations made under section 309, to participate in the measures;

    (h) the person and the Attorney General have entered into an agreement within the period of 180 days after the Attorney General has provided initial disclosure of the Crown's evidence to the person;

    (i) there is, in the opinion of the Attorney General, sufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution of the offence; and

    (j) the prosecution of the offence is not barred at law.

Restriction on use

(2) Environmental protection alternative measures shall not be used to deal with a person who

    (a) denies participation or involvement in the commission of the alleged offence; or

    (b) expresses the wish to have any charge against the person dealt with by the court.

Admissions not admissible in evidence

(3) No admission, confession or statement accepting responsibility for a given act or omission made by a person as a condition of being dealt with by environmental protection alternative measures is admissible in evidence against the person in any civil or criminal proceedings.

Dismissal of charge

(4) Where environmental protection alternative measures have been used to deal with a person alleged to have committed an offence, the court shall dismiss the charge laid against the person in respect of that offence where the court is satisfied on a balance of probabilities that the person has complied with the agreement.

No bar to proceedings

(5) The use of environmental protection alternative measures in respect of a person who is alleged to have committed an offence is not a bar to any proceedings against the person under this Act.

Laying of information, etc.

(6) This section does not prevent any person from laying an information, obtaining the issue or confirmation of any process, or proceeding with the prosecution of any offence, in accordance with the law.

Sentencing considerations

297. Where an information in respect of an offence of contravening an agreement under section 272 has been laid and proceedings in respect of the alleged offence for which the agreement was entered into have been recommenced, the court imposing a sentence for either offence shall take into account, in addition to the factors referred to in section 287, any sentence that has previously been imposed for the other offence.

Nature of measures contained in agreement

298. (1) An agreement may contain any terms and conditions, including, but not limited to,

    (a) terms and conditions having any or all of the effects set out in section 291 or any other terms and conditions having any of the effects prescribed by the regulations that the Attorney General, after consulting with the Minister, considers appropriate; and

    (b) terms and conditions relating to the costs of laboratory tests and of field tests, travel and living expenses, costs of scientific analyses and other reasonable costs associated with supervising and verifying compliance with the agreement.

Supervisory bodies

(2) Any governmental or non-governmental body may supervise compliance with an agreement.

Duration of agreement

299. An agreement comes into force on the day on which it is signed or on any later day that is specified in the agreement and continues in force for the period, not exceeding three years, specified in the agreement.

Filing in court for the purpose of public access

300. (1) Subject to subsection (5), the Attorney General shall consult with the Minister before entering into an agreement and shall cause the agreement to be filed, as part of the court record of the proceedings to which the public has access, with the court in which the information was laid, within 30 days after the agreement was entered into.

Reports

(2) A report relating to the administration of or compliance with an agreement shall, immediately after all the terms and conditions of the agreement have been complied with or the charges in respect of which the agreement was entered into have been dismissed, be filed with the court in which the agreement was filed in accordance with subsection (1).

Confidential information or material injury

(3) Subject to subsection (4), the following information that is to be part of an agreement or the report referred to in subsection (2) must be set out in a schedule to the agreement or to the report:

    (a) trade secrets of any person;

    (b) financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that is confidential information and that is treated consistently in a confidential manner by any person;

    (c) information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to result in material financial loss or gain to, or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of, any person; or

    (d) information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of any person.

Agreement on information to be in schedule

(4) The parties to an agreement must agree on which information that is to be part of an agreement or a report is information that meets the requirements of paragraphs (3)(a) to (d).

Manner in which schedules to be kept secret

(5) A schedule to an agreement or to the report referred to in subsection (2) is confidential and shall not be filed with the court.

Prohibition of disclosure

(6) The Minister shall not disclose any information set out in a schedule to the agreement or to the report referred to in subsection (2), except under section 307 or under the Access to Information Act.

Filing in Environmenta l Registry

301. A copy of every agreement and report referred to in subsection 300(2) and every agreement that has been varied under subsection 303(1), or a notice that the agreement or report has been filed in court and is available to the public, shall be included in the Environmental Registry.

Stay and recommence ment of proceedings

302. Despite section 579 of the Criminal Code,

    (a) the Attorney General shall, on filing the agreement, stay the proceedings or apply to the court for an adjournment of the proceedings in respect of the offence alleged to have been committed for a period of not more than one year after the expiry of the agreement; and

    (b) proceedings stayed in accordance with paragraph (a) may be recommenced, without laying a new information or preferring a new indictment, as the case may be, by the Attorney General giving notice of the recommencement to the clerk of the court in which the stay of the proceedings was entered, but where no such notice is given within one year after the expiry of the agreement, the proceedings are deemed never to have been commenced.

Application to vary agreement

303. (1) Subject to subsection 300(5), the Attorney General may, on application by the person bound by an agreement and after consulting with the Minister, vary the agreement in one or both of the following ways that, in the opinion of the Attorney General, is rendered desirable by a material change in the circumstances since the agreement was entered into or last varied:

    (a) make any changes to the agreement or to its terms and conditions; or

    (b) decrease the period for which the agreement is to remain in force or relieve the person, either absolutely or partially or for any period that the Attorney General considers desirable, of compliance with any condition that is specified in the agreement.

Filing of varied agreement

(2) An agreement that has been varied under subsection (1) shall be filed with the court in which the original agreement was filed in accordance with section 300.

Records of persons

304. Sections 305 to 307 apply only to persons who have entered into an agreement, regardless of the degree of their compliance with its terms and conditions.

Records of police forces and investigative bodies

305. (1) A record that relates to an offence that is alleged to have been committed by a person, including the original or a copy of any fingerprints or photographs of the person, may be kept by any police force or body responsible for, or participating in, the investigation of the offence.

Disclosure by enforcement officer or peace officer

(2) An enforcement officer or other peace officer may disclose to any person any information in a record kept under this section that it is necessary to disclose in the conduct of the investigation of an offence.

Disclosure to insurance company

(3) An enforcement officer or other peace officer may disclose to an insurance company any information in a record kept under this section that it is necessary to disclose for the purpose of investigating a claim arising out of an offence that is committed or alleged to have been committed by the person to whom the record relates.

Government records

306. (1) The Minister, enforcement officers and analysts and any department or agency of a government in Canada with which the Minister has entered into an agreement under section 308 may keep records and use information obtained as a result of the use of environmental protection alternative measures to deal with a person

    (a) for the purposes of an inspection under this Act or an investigation of an offence under this Act that is alleged to have been committed by the person;

    (b) in proceedings against the person under this Act;

    (c) for the purpose of the administration of environmental protection alternative measures programs; or

    (d) otherwise for the purposes of the administration or enforcement of this Act.

Supervision records

(2) Any person may keep the records and use the information obtained by the person as a result of supervising compliance with an agreement that are necessary for the purpose of supervising compliance with the agreement.

Disclosure of records

307. (1) Any record or information referred to in section 305 or 306 may be made available to

    (a) any judge or court for any purpose that relates to proceedings relating to offences that are committed or alleged to have been committed by the person to whom the record relates;

    (b) any prosecutor, enforcement officer or other peace officer

      (i) for the purpose of investigating an offence that the person is suspected on reasonable grounds of having committed, or in respect of which the person has been arrested or charged, or