Posts Tagged ‘Environmental Bill of Rights’

What powers do Canadian municipalities have to create environmental rights?

June 28th, 2012 by Paula Boutis and Laura Bowman

A reader asked us if Canadian municipalities can pass an environmental bill of rights, as some American jurisdictions have with the help of the Community Environmental Legal Defence Fund. The example provided by the reader prohibited the extraction of natural gas by means other than gas wells installed and operating at the time of the enactment of the ordinance.

In Canada, municipalities are created by provincial laws and their powers are limited both by those laws and by the limits on provincial jurisdiction.

Read more on rabble.ca

The costs of hiding environmental information

April 26th, 2012 by Iler Campbell LLP

Laura Bowman wrote our Pro Bono column on rabble.ca this month. In it, she discusses access to environmental information:

For citizens and NGOs who want to challenge environmental decisions, the biggest obstacle is usually obtaining information about the potential environmental effects of a decision or project.  In the 1990s, the Ontario government passed the Environmental Bill of Rights which was supposed to make access to environmental information easier.

Read the column here

Important Environmental Law Amendments in the Ontario 2012 budget bill

April 17th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

The Ontario Government recently introduced Bill 55 – Strong Action for Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2012.   Budget bills are exempt from the posting and public consultation requirements of the Environmental Bill of Rights.  As a result, the public does not have the same opportunities to contribute to decision making when a number of environmentally significant laws are changed in a budget Bill.  Overall the budget Bill adds exemptions both in law and through additional regulatory powers to a variety of environmental processes.

Continue reading “Important Environmental Law Amendments in the Ontario 2012 budget bill”

David McRobert and Paula Boutis Propose an Ontario Participant and Intervenor Funding Act

January 30th, 2012 by Iler Campbell LLP

In August David McRobert and Paula Boutis asked if it was time for Ontario political parties to revisit the issue of intervenor funding and access to environmental justice. They have followed up and made an application under the Environmental Bill of Rights requesting a review of existing laws, regulations and policies related to public participation and hearings under the Environment Assessment Act and other environmental and planning laws.

Continue reading “David McRobert and Paula Boutis Propose an Ontario Participant and Intervenor Funding Act”