Target: Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment
Sponsored by: Douglas Channel Watch
URGENT! We need to deliver this petition prior to the federal budget release on March 29, 2012!
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) is facing great risk of further being dismantled.This act is linked to dozens of other pieces of legislation which protect national parks, endangered species and fish habitat, to name a few. Its purpose is to protect Canadians and their environment from harmful impacts.
On March 13, 2012, a report was published by the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. This report was based on a review that was terminated before it was completed. Key stakeholders were not invited to participate or were denied upon request. If accepted, the report recommendations will impose the following disastrous changes:
- At the sole discretion of the minister, larger projects (eg. Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal) will no longer require scientific input. Gone are the days of checks and balances, which are essential to any democracy.
- Consultation with the public and First Nations will be
streamlinedto expedite large industrial projects (eg. Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal) - Parts of the act that consider the capacity of renewable resources, and allow a review of alternatives to the proposed project, will be eliminated.
- Provinces that have assessment procedures in place - regardless of their adequacy or the different standards across the country - will be the sole reviewer, eliminating the federal government’s place in what is currently a joint, more standardized process.
- Strict and arbitrary timelines will be enforced, making adequate review increasingly difficult.
If accepted, these changes would put Canada back to where we stood in the early 1970’s with very little means to monitor the impact of industrial expansion on our natural heritage, our wildlife and our own sustained health and welfare. We cannot let this happen.
Industry, development and a strong and growing economy are key aspects of any healthy nation. However, these must be achieved in harmony with protecting and respecting the citizens’ right to democracy, welfare and a healthy environment.
Together our voices will be heard! Please sign this petition so that the Minister of the Environment knows that we expect a democratic and scientific review before any changes are made to the act and that the current report and recommendations are unacceptable!
The more signatures, the louder we are! Please sign and share widely.
Thank you!
There are two petitions desperately wanting signatures, the CEAA petition and the Fisheries Act petition. As of today, the CEAA has only 560 signatures and the Fisheries about 1600. Both of these potential changes to legislation would make the task of projects such as Enbridge Northern Gateway pretty much a push-over.
PLEASE make sure you SIGN each of them. Here they are: thepetitionsite.com/813/378/ … sment-act/
and:
thepetitionsite.com/124/389/ … eries-act/