Bill C-372
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1st Session, 37th Parliament, 49-50 Elizabeth II, 2001
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House of Commons of Canada
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BILL C-372 |
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An Act to provide for the harmonization of
environmental standards throughout
Canada
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| Preamble
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Whereas the environment of Canada is
indivisible and most pollutants are not fixed in
one location but move, by means of our water
and atmosphere and by human intervention
throughout the nation;
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Whereas Canada and its provinces have
similar objectives for the protection of the
environment;
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Whereas environmental standards have
been set at similar but not identical levels
throughout the nation;
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Whereas environmental quality can best be
maintained throughout Canada if standards,
monitoring procedures and enforcement
methods are consistent throughout the nation;
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And Whereas those who have to control
emissions such as municipalities and industry
will benefit from efficiency, certainty and
standardization of equipment and procedures
if environmental standards are uniform across
the nation;
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Now, Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate and House of
Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
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| Short title
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1. This Act may be cited as the National
Environmental Standards Act.
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| Definitions
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2. The following definitions apply in this
Act.
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| ``environment
al standard'' « norme environnemen tale »
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``environmental standard'' means a standard
or limit set by or pursuant to an Act of
Parliament or of the legislature of a
province which relates to the protection of
the quality of the land, water or atmosphere
forming the environment of Canada,
whether indoors or outdoors and whether
under the jurisdiction of Canada or of one or
more provinces or under joint jurisdiction
of any of them.
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| ``Minister'' « ministre »
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``Minister'' means the Minister of the
Environment.
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| Conference of
ministers
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3. (1) The Minister shall, within the one
hundred and eighty days following the coming
into force of this Act, convene a conference of
the ministers of the Crown responsible for the
environment for each province.
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| Objective of
conference
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(2) The conference shall have the objective
of discussing means by which to achieve
uniformity in the environmental standards
across Canada.
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| Advisory
committee
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(3) The Minister shall seek the agreement of
the participants, at the conference to create a
committee to advise the participants at the
conference, on the means of achieving
uniformity in environmental standards across
Canada, and to propose model legislation that
could be passed by Parliament and the
legislature of every province as a basis for
their environmental standards.
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| Additional
standards for
unique issues
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(4) Nothing in this Act is intended to
preclude the possibility that each province
might need to establish special environmental
standards to control circumstances that apply
only in one or more but not in the majority of
provinces.
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| Composition
of committee
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(5) The Minister shall propose that the
committee have representatives nominated by
the government of Canada and the
governments of every province and include
members or technical staff with expertise in
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| Report by
Minister
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(6) The Minister shall prepare a report on
the conference, the advisory committee and
developments related to the achievement of
uniformity or a greater degree of uniformity in
environmental standards across Canada for
each of the three consecutive twelve-month
periods starting with the period commencing
on the day this Act comes into force.
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| Report laid
before
Parliament
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(7) Every report under subsection (6) shall
be completed within six months of the end of
the period and the Minister shall cause a copy
of the report to be laid before each House of
Parliament, on any of the first ten days on
which the House sits following the completion
of the report.
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| Report
referred to
standing
committee
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(8) When a report is laid before the House
of Commons pursuant to subsection (7), it
shall be deemed to be referred to the standing
committee of the House appointed to deal with
matters related to the environment for the
committee to consider it and report to the
House.
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