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WCEL
> Issues > Environmental Deregulation
In 2001, the BC provincial government set a target of eliminating one third of all regulations. Despite promising to do this while maintaining high environmental standards, both standards and the ability to enforce them have
suffered under the deregulation and budget cutting initiatives.
On this page you'll find links to reports and fact sheets that spell out the changes the government has made as well as their potential consequences. Just click on the link and it will take you to the fact sheet on that topic.
Two reports provide a comprehensive picture of what staffing cuts and regulatory changes mean to British Columbia.
Cutting Up the Safety Net looks at changes to environmental regulation from 2001 to early 2005, examining their impact on government's ability to protect our environment and achieve a sustainable economy.
Please Hold looks at staffing cuts and the impacts these have had on the ability of government to monitor and enforce environmental laws.
The first year of the new provincial government saw sweeping changes to
budgets, laws, regulations and policies that will impact the BC
environment for years to come. West Coast provides a comprehensive
review and assessment of the BC government's record on the
environment. (Read the
report)
The provincial government's new Riparian Areas Regulation weakens
protection for fish habitat, giving wriggle room for developers who
want to build close to the banks of fish bearing streams. However,
local governments can still protect the environment by developing
more stringent protection for fish-bearing streams
Riparian Areas
Regulation
BC's mining industry opposed many of the environmental reforms of
the 90's proposing legislative rollbacks and deregulation. The new
government has responded and West Coast has tracked the changes and
reports on their potential impacts.
Bill 54: Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act 2002
Bill 36: the Energy and Mines Statutes Amendment Act
Bill 32: the Waste Management Amendment Act, 2002
Amendments to the Wildlife Act to enhance endangered
species protection sound like a good thing, but Bill 51 proposes to
put political decisions ahead of science. While the amendments do
expand provincial powers to protect species at risk, there is no
requirement to identify and protect the species that really need
help.
Bill 51: Wildlife Amendment Act, 2004
On May 13, 2003 the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection
introduced Bill 53, a new Integrated Pest Management Act,
which will replace British Columbia's Pesticide Control Act.
Theoretically, government's role will shift from 'front end'
authorization to detecting and punishing companies that are not
following their own plans or government technical standards after
the fact. However, when these changes are coupled with staff and
budget cuts, it is questionable whether government will in fact be
able to effectively monitor the amount of pesticides applied in BC
and sanction against misuse.
Bill 53: the new
Integrated Pest Management
Act
The BC government passed the new Environmental Management Act on
October 21, 2003. When it is brought into force, the Act will
replace BC’s main pollution law, the Waste Management Act, with a
new regime that is part of the BC government’s deregulation
initiative. The Waste Disposal Regulation, created under the
Environmental Management Act, is expected to eliminate about 80% or
more of existing waste permits.
Bill 57: the new Environmental Management
Act
Bill 57: Environmental Management
Act - Waste Discharge Regulation
West
Coast Environmental Law's Response to the Proposed Waste Disposal
Regulation
Bill 84, the Parks and Protected Areas Statutes Amendment Act,
2003, weakens Park Act restrictions on development in provincial
parks, authorizes petroleum and natural gas removal from parks and
changes seven park boundaries.
Bill 84: the Parks and
Protected Areas Statutes Amendment Act, 2003
The BC government has rewritten the Environmental Assessment Act,
replacing the previous assessment process. West Coast's analysis
shows how this is a dramatic step backward for environmental
assessment in BC.
Bill 38: the new Environmental Assessment Act
Bill 21, the Agricultural Land Commission Act replaces the
previous Agricultural Land Reserve Act incorporating many of the
provisions of the old Act, along with a number of key structural and
substantive changes.
Agricultural Land Commission Act (Bill 21)
The BC government introduced what it called "results
based" forest management legislation in the fall of 2002. The
legislation - following on the heels of changes to the Forest Act -
deregulates forest management in BC and enables future "results
based" regulations. As the full regulatory environment emerges,
West Coast will continue to track and analyse the full picture of
forestry deregulation in BC.
Bill 33, the Forest Statutes
Amendment Act, 2004
Forest Regulations Lower
Standards, Tie Government Hands, and Reduce Accountability
Bills 22 & 35: Forest Act and Forest Practices Code
Amendments
Forest And Range Practices Act
Following industry complaints, the BC Government struck an
Advisory Panel to recommend changes to BC's Contaminated Sites
Regulations. West Coast's analysis of the Panel's interim report
shows the recommendations will likely lead to more contaminated site
problems and increased liability for the taxpayer.
Contaminated sites interim report backgrounder
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