OTTAWA,
Ont. -- June 18, 2009 -- Cracking down on
polluters, poachers and wildlife smugglers
through increased fines and new enforcement
tools are the main elements of the new Environmental
Enforcement Act, which received Royal Assent
today.
"In the election
campaign, our government committed to bolster
the protection of our water, air and land
through tougher environmental enforcement
that holds polluters accountable. Today
we delivered," said Environment Minister
Jim Prentice. "This Act, together with
funding commitments of $43 million from
Budgets 2007 and 2008 to hire more enforcement
officers and to implement the new measures,
will provide a comprehensive, modern and
effective enforcement regime for Canada."
Introduced in the House
of Commons by Minister Prentice, the Environmental
Enforcement Act, sets minimum fines for
serious offences of between $5,000 for individuals
and $500,000 for large corporations. As
well, the Act raises maximum fines to as
high as $6 million. The bill also gives
enforcement officers new powers to investigate
cases and grants courts new sentencing authorities
that ensure penalties reflect the seriousness
of the pollution and wildlife offences.
All 106 planned new
enforcement officers have now been hired
by Environment Canada and will complete
their training by August. These new resources,
coupled with strong new legislation, will
position Canada at the forefront of environmental
enforcement.
The Act also expands
the authority to deal with environmental
offenders by:
specifying aggravating
factors such as causing damage to wildlife
or wildlife habitat, or causing damage that
is extensive, persistent or irreparable;
providing fine ranges higher for corporate
offenders than for individuals;
doubling fine ranges for repeat offenders;
authorizing the suspension and cancellation
of licenses, permits or other authorizations
upon conviction;
requiring corporate offenders to report
convictions to shareholders; and
mandating the reporting of corporate offences
on a public registry.
As well, the Act directs that fines imposed
by the courts go to the Environmental Damages
Fund which provides funding to local environmental
restoration, improvement, research and development,
and public education initiatives.
For more information
about this act please visit Environment
Canada's Web site. For copies of the Act:
An Act to make amendments relating to the
enforcement of, and to enact provisions
respecting the enforcement of, certain Acts
that relate to the environment, please visit:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&xml=2ADA2898-0852-46C6-97CF-C27DF9FF8D00.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government of Canada
Invests $2 Million in Asia-Pacific Partnership
OTTAWA, Ont. -- June
18, 2009 -- The Honourable Jim Prentice,
Minister of the Environment, today announced
that the Government of Canada has invested
$2 million to partner with Canadian business
in eleven clean technology projects under
the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development
and Climate (APP). This investment will
leverage matching funds from the private
sector.
"Achieving Canada's
long-term emission reductions goals will
require continued investments in clean technologies,
said Minister Prentice. "Canada's active
involvement in the Asia-Pacific Partnership
is just one example of how we are collaborating
internationally to accelerate the development
and deployment of low-carbon technologies."
The APP is a public-private
partnership of seven countries - Australia,
Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea
and the United States - that seeks to accelerate
the development and deployment of clean
energy technologies. Together, the seven
APP partners represent more than half of
the world's population, economy and greenhouse
gas emissions.
" This unique partnership
has engaged the private sector in more than
one hundred projects aimed at promoting
energy security and emissions reductions,"
added minister Prentice. The APP focuses
on expanding investment and trade in cleaner
energy technologies, goods and services
in key energy-intensive and energy supply
sectors that offer the greatest potential
to address climate change and air pollution
challenges.
The APP's work is conducted
through eight task forces, including five
energy-intensive sectors (aluminum, buildings
and appliances, cement, coal mining and
steel) and three energy supply sectors -
cleaner fossil energy, renewable energy
and distributed generation, and power generation
and transmission. This funding will support
innovative new projects in seven of the
eight APP task forces.
Canada's participation
in the APP supports its domestic, continental
and international efforts to address climate
change, as well as the commitment to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from
2006 levels by 2020 and 60-70 percent by
2050.
Canada joined the APP
in October 2007 and is an active member
in all task force and APP Policy and Implementation
Committee meetings. In 2008, Canada announced
a $20 million investment over three years
to support its APP projects and activities.
In the coming months, the Government will
also work with the private sector to develop
and fund a second round of clean technology
projects under the APP.
For more information
on Canada's involvement in the APP, visit:
ec.gc.ca
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
The Government of Canada
Reaches Another Important Milestone with
the Chemicals Management
May 29, 2009
For immediate release
OTTAWA – The Honourable
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and
the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada's Environment
Minister, today announced the release of
the draft screening assessments and risk
management scope documents for 18 substances
assessed in Batch 6 of the Chemicals Management
Plan. The Government has reached the halfway
point in its commitment to assess approximately
200 high-priority substances as part of
the Chemicals Management Plan.
"To date we have
assessed 106 high-priority substances under
our world-leading Chemicals Management Plan,"
said Minister Aglukkaq. "With the release
of the draft risk assessments for Batch
6, we have assessments for over half of
the substances we identified as high priorities
for action, and have reached an important
milestone."
"We are working
hard to ensure that chemicals that may pose
risks to human health and the environment
are managed safely," said Minister
Prentice. "We will continue to gather
information and explore risk management
activities to control these substances."
Of the 18 substances assessed in Batch 6,
one substance is proposed to pose a risk
to human health (benzyl chloride) and one
may pose a risk to the environment (DHNUP).
Benzyl chloride is an
industrial chemical found at very low levels
in pesticides, household and personal care
products, disinfectants and industrial cleaners.
It is also used in the production of benzyl
alcohol. DHNUP belongs to a family of chemicals
called phthalates commonly used in the making
of plastics. The primary use of DHNUP is
as a plasticizer for electrical and communication
wire insulation.
Current information
indicates that the remaining 16 substances
do not pose a risk to human health or the
environment.
Notices containing summaries
of the draft screening assessment reports
will be published in Canada Gazette, Part
I on May 29, 2009. The complete draft screening
assessments as well as risk management scope
documents for all Batch 6 substances can
be found on the Chemicals Management Plan
website. Interested parties can submit comments
on these documents until July 29, 2009.
Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
Environment Canada
Josée Bellemare
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
