Provincial

Saskatchewan changing environmental regulations

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Category: Provincial News

Created on Friday, 27 January 2012 17:04

 by Dustin Gill

The Ministry of Environment is holding a series of public meetings from January 30 to February 2 to discuss changes it is making to environmental regulations in Saskatchewan. 

The new Saskatchewan Environmental Code will be a shift away from a permit-based regulatory system towards a 'results-based' regulatory system. This means that instead of businesses applying for permits and awaiting approval on certain projects, they now will be able to go ahead without a permit so long as they are complying with the standards set out under the new code. Industry will be responsible for reporting their actions to government, and government will be responsible for performing audits and ensuring compliance. 

The goal of the new changes are to increase economic efficiency by reducing the amount of time businesses spend applying, and waiting, for permits and the amount of time government spends issuing them. However, some worry that moving away from permits and depending upon the reliability of reports and audits, that the code is a step towards a more relaxed form of regulation. 

According to Ann Coxworth its hard to determine if the new Environmental Code will actually lead to increased environmental protection. Coxworth was a member of the Code Development Committee where she was involved in its development as a representative for the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. "Obviously there are loopholes in any regulatory system," says Coxworth, "and I think there are plenty of places where people, if they wanted, could get around the intentions of this new system." 

The code outlines 'acceptable solutions' which are standards set out by Ministry of Environment, and 'alternative solutions' which are new methods which can be proposed or developed by industry, so long as they have been approved by a 'qualified persons'. Coxworth worries that "there is a lot of reliance put on the goodwill of the proponents and the reliability of the so-called 'qualified persons' who will be confirming the effectiveness of different alternative solutions to environmental problems." 

Coxworth expressed that while developing the code there were times her input was rejected on the basis that it would stifle economic growth. "The government keeps saying 'this isn't self regulation," she says, "but there is a lot more trust involved."

"The new code is about developing outcomes that the Ministry of Environment wants to see, and letting companies tell us how they'll get there", says Jeff Paterson, a member of the Code Secretariat directly in charge of developing and implementing the code. "Now we don't have to issue 500 permits because the code allows people to go ahead provided they follow the requirements in the code without a permit." says, Paterson.

"People could be waiting months to a year for their permits where in reality it could be a low-risk activity that could be covered by the code that says 'if you do it this way, you're all right, just go ahead and do it. But be prepared, if you do it wrong, the Ministry has its auditing, compliance and enforcement capabilities."

Paterson says there will be a new auditing division within the Ministry of Environment, as well as increased fines and compliance measures to help enforce the code. "We have increased our fines up to a million dollars. So if you continue the activity you're being charged for you could be fined a million dollars a day."

The public talks are open to anyones input and begin on January 30 and continue until February 2. They will include members from the municipal, forestry, industrial and mining sectors as well as First Nations and Metis representatives. Paterson says that concerns over deregulation have been bought up and that he hopes the public talks will help to raise awareness and inform people about the Ministry's new policy direction.