Review of Environmental Bill of Rights - A Provincial Dialogue
Regulation Number(s):
N/A
Instrument Type:
Information
Bill or Act:
Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993, S.O. 1993, c. 28
Summary of Proposal:
Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR) protects the environment by ensuring that the public is informed, engaged and consulted on matters of environmental significance. Ontario is a leading Canadian jurisdiction in the promotion of environmental rights due in part to the vision and requirements outlined in the EBR. The act is administered by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
Under the EBR, Ontarians have the right to request a minister review an existing act, regulation, policy or instrument to protect the environment. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change received an application for a review of the EBR itself and has agreed to examine certain components of the act.
As part of this review, the ministry is seeking public feedback on select parts of the EBR through a discussion guide. The discussion guide provides an overview of the relevant sections of the EBR as well as a series of questions to help you consider the issues. Links to the discussion guide, the full text of the EBR and the EBR regulations are provided.
The ministry is also seeking your input on the right to a healthy environment. There is a movement in Canada to enshrine a right to a healthy environment in a legislative framework, principally in the Canadian Constitution. MOECC is seeking the views of Ontarians so that it may be better positioned to contribute to the national dialogue.
The discussion guide includes questions to help you consider particular aspects of the EBR and environmental rights. The guide will be posted for a 120-day comment period, from July 11 to November 8, 2016. The ministry will then analyze the feedback, post a summary of the comments received and identify next steps in the EBR review. Links to the guide, the full text of the EBR and the EBR regulations are provided. Comments may be submitted to the EBRreview@ontario.ca.
Further Information:
Proposal Number:
16-MOE009
Posting Date:
July 11, 2016
Comments Due Date:
November 8, 2016