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2005 September Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
September 2005 Report—Chapter 8
Appendix A—Petitions activity (1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005)
This appendix includes follow-up petitions and new petitions received during the activity period noted above.
To access the full text of petitions and replies from December 1995 to 30 June 2005, go to our Petitions Catalogue on our Web site. If necessary, paper copies of the catalogue can be obtained on request.
Follow-up petitions
Petition No. 126B: Follow-up petition on fumigants and other pesticides in shipping containers
Date submitted: 8 March 2005
Petitioner(s): Tom Edwards
Summary: In petition 126A, the petitioner alleged that he was exposed to a potentially toxic pesticide while handling an overseas shipping pallet in his workplace. In its response, Transport Canada stated that it could not take any action unless the chemical was positively identified. In this follow-up petition, the petitioner provides documentation of the workplace incident and a positive laboratory identification of the chemical. The petitioner asks additional questions about the government's measures to control the use of banned and toxic pesticides on shipments entering Canada and about protecting the safety of border services workers. The petitioner also asks the federal government to provide him with worker assistance and compensation. See related petition No. 126A.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (toxic substances) (pesticides), international/bilateral issues (transboundary concerns) (trade), and transportation (shipping)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Transport Canada, Health Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Canada Border Services Agency
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 122B: Follow-up petition on a housing development near Mission, British Columbia
Date submitted: 4 January 2005
Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident
Summary: In this follow-up petition about the proposed Silvermere housing development near Mission, British Columbia, the petitioner is concerned that a proposal to reduce lake water levels and to construct a road will result in damage the Silvermere Lake/Stave River ecosystem and affect spawning salmon. The petitioner believes that the proposal should require a Fisheries Act permit and asks that a statutory review or federal environmental assessment be conducted on the development proposal. See related petition No. 122A.
Issues: Biological diversity (endangered species) (habitat) (watershed protection) and fisheries (habitat) (conservation)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 118B: Follow-up petition on the environmental impacts of man-made dams
Date submitted: 3 February 2005
Petitioner(s): The Friends of the Oldman River
Summary: In this follow-up to petition 118A, the petitioner is concerned about the impacts of man-made dams on fish and fish habitat across Canada. The petitioner provides a list of dams and asks Fisheries and Oceans Canada to indicate which dams are on water bodies that support fisheries and/or fish habitat. The petitioner also asks the Department to indicate which of the listed dams have had a Fisheries Act authorization and which ones currently have Fisheries Act authorizations. See related petition No. 118A.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat) (conservation) and water issues (aquatic ecosystems) (navigable waters)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 109B: Follow-up petition concerning a closed landfill in Cramahe, Ontario
Date submitted: 13 October 2004
Petitioner(s): Bruce Melnichuk
Summary: In this follow-up petition regarding a closed landfill in Cramahe, Ontario, the petitioner thanks Environment Canada for its actions in response to petition 109A and requests additional investigation of the site. The petitioner alleges that the landfill is discharging contaminants into nearby Cold Creek in contravention of the Fisheries Act. See related petition No. 109A.
Issues: Fisheries (enforcement), human health/environmental health, and water issues (groundwater) (water quality)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 105B: Follow-up petition on federal environmental assessment for a regional road project in St. Albert, Alberta
Date submitted: 22 September 2004
Petitioner(s): Elke Blodgett
Summary: This petitioner raises concerns about the Screening Environmental Assessment Report prepared by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in August 2004. The petitioner alleges that construction of the road will promote ground and surface water contamination from landfill leachate and will affect wildlife, wetlands, vegetation, and fish habitat. Concerns about the quality and timeliness of the public registry are also raised. The petitioner requests that all federal permits and authorizations be withheld until outstanding issues have been resolved. See related petition No. 105A.
Issues: Biological diversity (habitat) (wetlands), fisheries (habitat), environmental assessment, other (infrastructure), and water issues (navigable waters) (water quality) (enforcement)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, and Transport Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 99B: Follow-up petition on trumpeter swans in Judson Lake, British Columbia
Date submitted: 24 August 2004
Petitioner(s): Kevin Sinclair
Summary: In this follow-up petition on dying trumpeter swans in Judson Lake, the petitioner requests that the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada sample Judson Lake water, soil, and plant roots; analyze them for lead toxicity; and assess the risk of lead contamination to the health of humans and wildlife. The petitioner also asks that the Canadian Wildlife Service work with other stakeholders to remediate Judson Lake. See related petition No. 99A.
Issues: Biological diversity (conservation) (habitat) (wildlife) (wetlands), water issues (aquatic ecosystems), human health/environmental health (toxic substances), and international/bilateral issues (transboundary concerns)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 90B: Follow-up petition on fishing practices and sensitive fish habitat in the ocean
Date submitted: 18 January 2005
Petitioner(s): Ecology Action Centre, Fisheries Recovery Action Committee, and Living Oceans Society (represented by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund)
Summary: This is a follow-up petition about the sustainability of the Canadian groundfish fishery. The petitioners direct a series of questions to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and allege that the use of bottom trawling and the associated equipment is harming fish habitat in the marine environment. The petitioners are concerned that continued use of this practice will undermine intentions to rejuvenate fish stocks through reduction of fishing and other efforts to rebuild fish stocks. See related petition No. 90A.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat) (conservation) and water issues (marine environment—oceans)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 82D: Follow-up petition on the Red Hill Valley Expressway in Hamilton, Ontario
Date submitted: 14 December 2004
Petitioner(s): Bob Hicks, Glen Atwell, and Wilamina McGrimmond
Summary: In this follow-up petition on the Red Hill Valley Expressway in Hamilton, Ontario, the petitioners allege that the habitat of several sensitive turtle species will be endangered by the development. The petitioners request that the Red Hill Valley Expressway development be reviewed to ensure the protection of the turtles and their habitat under the Species at Risk Act and that the government consult with Aboriginal people on the matter of turtle habitat protection under the Act. See related petitions 82A, B, and C.
Issues: Biological diversity (conservation) (endangered species) (habitat) and other (Aboriginal concerns)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
New petitions
Petition No. 150: Rapid transit project serving the Vancouver International Airport
Date Submitted: 14 June 2005
Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident
Summary: The petitioner asks why financial commitments to the Richmond Airport Vancouver rapid transit project were made before an environmental assessment was completed. The petitioner also questions why the federal government is relying on the British Columbia Environmental Review Process to assess the environmental impacts of this large and complex project.
Issues: Environmental assessment and transportation
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Transport Canada
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 149: Decision not to list Cultus and Sakinaw Lake sockeye salmon under the Species at Risk Act
Date Submitted: 10 June 2005
Petitioner(s): Sierra Club of Canada, B.C. Chapter
Summary: The petitioner claims that the Minister of the Environment's decision not to accept the recommendation of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Species in Canada, and include Cultus and Sakinaw Lake sockeye salmon on the List of Wildlife Species at Risk under the Species at Risk Act, was based on flawed analyses. The petitioner asks whether the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of the Environment knew about the shortcomings in these analyses. The petitioner, having provided the ministers with critiques of the analyses in November 2004, seeks clarification on why action was not taken to reassess the decision.
Issues: Biodiversity (conservation) (endangered species) and fisheries (conservation)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 148: Protecting wild salmon from disease at fish farms
Date Submitted: 9 June 2005
Petitioner(s): Georgia Strait Alliance, United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU-CAW), and the David Suzuki Foundation (represented by Sierra Legal Defence Fund)
Summary: According to the petitioners, farmed fish may transfer bacterial and viral diseases to wild indigenous fish stocks, threatening their health. Concerns are raised by the petitioners that the federal government is not adequately responding to the risk of disease transfer through research, monitoring, surveillance, enforcement, and reporting. The petitioners suggest ways that Fisheries and Oceans Canada can improve its understanding and management of disease transfer, including monitoring the levels of disease in wild fish populations and establishing a list of reportable fish diseases for Canada.
Issues: Fisheries (aquaculture) (habitat) (enforcement) and other (information and reporting)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 147: Evaluating the tax system to advance environmental goals
Date Submitted: 7 June 2005
Petitioner(s): Charles Caccia
Summary: The petitioner points to the 2005 federal budget, in which the Minister of Finance made a commitment to "look for other ways to use the tax system to advance environmental goals," and tabled an associated framework for evaluating environmental tax proposals. The petitioner wants the federal government to set a target date for completing its evaluation of the current tax system, so that the government can use the system to advance environmental goals in the next federal budget.
Issues: Other (economic instruments) (information and reporting)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Department of Finance Canada
Status: Reply pending
Petition No. 146: Firearms contaminants in federal training facilities
Date Submitted: 9 June 2005
Petitioner(s): A Canadian organization
Summary: The petitioner alleges that the federal government is not complying with standards governing air-borne lead oxide and toxic waste disposal at its indoor firing ranges. According to the petitioner, pollution from these ranges is affecting the health of individuals using them and contributing to the contamination of local air, water, and soils.
Issues: Air issues (air quality), human health/environmental health (toxic substances) (hazardous waste) (contaminated sites), and transportation (dangerous goods)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, National Defence, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Transport Canada, and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 145: Business Park development in Surrey, British Columbia
Date Submitted: 3 June 2005
Petitioner(s): Fraser Valley Conservation Coalition
Summary: The petitioner is concerned about environmental impacts that may arise from the development of the Campbell Heights Business Park. The site for the Business Park is Stokes Pit—an environmentally sensitive area in Surrey, B.C. According to the petitioner, significant damage to wildlife species and habitats has occurred since the development project began in 2003. The petitioner asks that a comprehensive environmental assessment and a community consultation be completed before the project proceeds.
Issues: Biological diversity (conservation) (habitat) (wetlands) (wildlife), fisheries (habitat) (conservation), and water issues (aquatic ecosystems) (water quality)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 144: Pest Control Products Act Regulations
Date submitted: 1 June 2005
Petitioner(s): Charles Caccia
Summary: According to the petitioner, there have been delays in putting regulations under the new Pest Control Products Act (proclaimed in 2002) in force. The new Act invokes the adoption of the precautionary principle, and when in place, the regulations would offer greater protection of public health and ecological sustainability.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (pesticides)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Health Canada
Status: Reply pending
Petition No. 143: Long-range plans for ski areas in Canada's Rocky Mountain parks
Date submitted: 9 May 2005
Petitioner(s): Under the Sleeping Buffalo Research
Summary: The petitioner believes that the ecosystem in Canada's Rocky Mountain parks is at risk from commercial activities. The petitioner seeks the government's assistance in securing ecological integrity objectives while contributing to the long-term sustainability of each ski area. Specifically, the petitioner notes that clear direction on comprehensive study reviews and the environmental assessment process is required.
Issues: Biological diversity (protected areas) and environmental assessment
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Parks Canada Agency
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 142: Biodiversity and species at risk
Date submitted: 28 April 2005
Petitioner(s): Heathyr Francis
Summary: This petition deals with biodiversity, species at risk, and the programs created to prevent losses in these areas. The petitioner is concerned about the co-ordination of environmental monitoring programs, the varying levels of government involved, and the varying amounts of commitment of each group. In addition, the petitioner suggests that programs such as FrogWatch could be addressed in schools across Canada to promote awareness of biodiversity and species at risk.
Issues: Biological diversity (protected areas) (endangered species) (conservation)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada
Status: Reply pending
Petition No. 141: Approval and registration process for pesticides
Date submitted: 18 April 2005
Petitioner(s): Allan S. Taylor
Summary: The petitioner is concerned about the registration and approval process for pesticides undertaken by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency within Health Canada. Specifically, the petitioner questions the assessment and approval of 2,4-D and Mecoprop.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (pesticides)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Health Canada
Status: Reply pending
Petition No. 140: Cleaning up the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens
Date submitted: 13 April 2005
Petitioner(s): Mary-Ruth MacLellan and several Canadian residents
Summary: The petitioners are informing the federal government of their concerns about specific aspects of the proposed approach to cleaning up the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens site. They ask the responsible ministers to apply the most stringent environmental standards and methods throughout the cleanup and that a panel review environmental assessment be undertaken to assess the cleanup proposal. The petitioners also ask for ministerial oversight of the project to ensure tight financial management and that the ministers place residents' health as the first priority in the cleanup.
Issues: Air issues (air quality), environmental assessment, and human health/environmental health (toxic substances) (hazardous waste) (contaminated sites)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Health Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Transport Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 139: Managing government contractors for sustainable service delivery
Date submitted: 29 March 2005
Petitioner(s): UNITE HERE
Summary: The petitioners allege that a contractor providing uniforms and other services to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has misrepresented environmental charges on its invoices and overcharged the government. The petitioners believe that the company's facilities have been contaminating water sources and allege that the invoiced "environmental charges" have not been used to manage the company's environmental impacts. The petitioners ask Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the CFIA to review the company's invoices and environmental record to ensure that the government has not been overcharged and that the environmental charges have not been misrepresented.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (toxic substances), water issues (drinking water) (water quality), and other
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Status: Replies pending
Petition No. 138: Strategic environmental assessment of a causeway in Rustico Harbour, P.E.I.
Date submitted: 17 March 2005
Petitioner(s): Rustico Harbour Authority
Summary: The petitioners are concerned about the environmental and economic impacts from a causeway that connects Robinson's Island to Prince Edward Island National Park in Rustico Harbour, P.E.I. The petitioners allege that the strategic environmental assessment that Parks Canada Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are currently conducting on the remediation proposal for the causeway will not address the environmental concerns that the petitioners have brought forward. The petitioners ask that the assessment be halted and that another environmental process under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act be initiated to deal specifically and exclusively with the installation of a breakwater on the eastern entrance to Rustico Bay.
Issues: Biological diversity (habitat) (protected areas), environmental assessment, fisheries (aquaculture) (habitat) (conservation), other (infrastructure), and water issues (marine environment—oceans)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Parks Canada Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 137: Strategic environmental assessment and the Red River Floodway
Date submitted: 7 March 2005
Petitioner(s): North Ritchot Action Committee
Summary: In petition 137, the petitioner asks the Minister of the Environment to provide details on the strategic environmental assessment of the Program of Operation for the Red River Floodway. The petitioner also asks the Minister to explain the removal of obligations on the Province of Manitoba to submit future program changes to the federal government for approval.
Issues: Environmental assessment, other (infrastructure) (federal-provincial co-operation), and water issues (watershed protection) (flood management)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 136: Environmental assessments and permitting man-made dams
Date submitted: 21 February 2005
Petitioner(s): The Friends of the Oldman River
Summary: In petition 136, the petitioner provides a list of selected man-made dams and asks Fisheries and Oceans Canada to indicate which dams underwent a full environmental assessment prior to a "Letter of Advice" being issued. The petitioner also asks if the Department plans to conduct environmental assessments for those dams where environmental assessments were not completed prior to a "Letter of Advice" being issued. This petitioner has submitted two other petitions (118A and B) about the impacts of man-made dams on fish and fish habitat across Canada and the status of Fisheries Act authorizations on selected dams.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat) (conservation), water issues (aquatic ecosystems) (navigable waters), and environmental assessment
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 135: Large-scale gravel removals from the Lower Fraser River in British Columbia
Date submitted: 8 December 2004
Petitioner(s): Mark Angelo, Vicky Husband, David Suzuki, Ron McLeod, and Daniel Pauly (represented by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund)
Summary: This petition concerns large-scale removals of gravel from the lower Fraser River in British Columbia. The petitioners allege that proposed large-scale removals of gravel will disrupt the river ecosystem and negatively affect fish and fish habitat. The petitioners also question whether the proposed removals will achieve the intended flood control measures for downstream communities. The petitioners are particularly concerned about a stretch of the Fraser River known as the "Gravel Reach" and about the associated impacts on the Fraser River White Sturgeon population. The petitioners ask for Fisheries Act authorizations to be reviewed and reconsidered.
Issues: Biological diversity (endangered species) (conservation) (habitat), fisheries (habitat) (conservation), and water issues (navigable waters)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 134: Sustainable management of the Pacific herring fishery
Date submitted: 8 December 2004
Petitioner(s): Heiltsuk Tribal Council
Summary: This petition is about the sustainable management of the Pacific herring fishery and First Nations' involvement with the management of and access to the resource. The petitioners allege that the conservation of the herring resource and the protection of their Aboriginal rights to harvest herring have been compromised. The petitioners ask federal departments a series of questions regarding the sustainable management of the herring fishery and the engagement of the Heiltsuk in the management of the resource.
Issues: Fisheries (conservation) and other (Aboriginal concerns)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Department of Justice Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 133: Cumulative environmental effects of resource development in British Columbia
Date submitted: 19 November 2004
Petitioner(s): West Moberly First Nations
Summary: The petitioners are concerned about the cumulative effects of resource development (forestry, oil and gas, mining) on treaty rights, fish and wildlife, species at risk, and ecological integrity in northeast British Columbia. The petitioners request that the federal government conduct a regional environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act with a scope that extends beyond project and site-specific assessments.
Issues: Biological diversity (endangered species), environmental assessment, fisheries (conservation), other (Aboriginal concerns), and renewable and non-renewable resources (energy) (forestry) (mining)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 132: Ontario Mid-Canada Line radar site remediation
Date submitted: 15 November 2004
Petitioner(s): Mushkegowuk Council
Summary: The petitioners allege that toxic substances (for example, heavy metals, DDT, asbestos, PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants) are being released from abandoned Mid-Canada Line radar sites to surrounding soils, groundwater, animals, and foods, and are having an impact on the ecosystem and human health. The petitioners request that the federal government participate in remediating and restoring the sites.
Issues: Northern issues and other (information and reporting) (Aboriginal concerns) (environmental monitoring)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Health Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and National Defence
Status: Completed
Petition No. 131: Environmental monitoring in Nunavut
Date submitted: 17 September 2004
Petitioner(s): Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Summary: The petitioner asserts that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has not established a general monitoring program in Nunavut, as required under the terms of Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. This monitoring would encompass the collection and analysis of information on the long-term state and health of the ecosystem and socio-economic conditions in the territory. The petitioner suggests that this monitoring program is central to the sustainable development of Nunavut.
Issues: Northern issues and other (information and reporting) (Aboriginal concerns) (environmental monitoring)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 130: Incentives to implement Canada's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol
Date submitted: 24 September 2004
Petitioner(s): Mark Gaudreault and several Canadian residents
Summary: The petitioners are requesting that the federal government support the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by introducing a GST rebate to purchasers of hybrid vehicles and small electric motors and by requiring auto manufacturers to produce a minimum number of low-emission vehicles each year.
Issues: Air issues (climate change), international/bilateral issues (international environmental agreements), other (economic instruments), renewable and non-renewable resources (energy conservation), and transportation
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Department of Finance Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 129: Federal re-evaluation of pesticide 2,4-D
Date submitted: 17 September 2004
Petitioner(s): Dr. Kazimiera J. Cottam
Summary: This petition concerns Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and its re-evaluation of the herbicide 2,4-D. The petitioner alleges that the Agency relies only on industry data to make its regulatory decisions and does not consider peer-reviewed scientific information. The petitioner maintains that the sporadic contamination of 2,4-D with cancer-causing chlorinated dioxins is not reported in industry data. The petitioner requests that the PMRA take into account independent, peer-reviewed scientific literature in its re-evaluation of 2,4-D, and in the evaluation of all pesticides. Finally, the petitioner requests that the PMRA maintain a statistical record of cancer incidence in Canada correlated to pesticide use.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (toxic substances) (pesticides)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Health Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 128: Cleanup of chemical contamination in Elmira, Ontario
Date submitted: 9 September 2004
Petitioner(s): Henry Regier
Summary: The petitioner is seeking federal government involvement in remediation and "sustainable re-development" in the community of Elmira in southern Ontario. According to the petitioner, hazardous wastes from munitions development for World Wars I and II and the American war in Vietnam have been buried in Elmira, and, together with a legacy of other heavy industry in the area and a poorly functioning landfill site and sewage treatment plant, the wastes have contributed to contamination of the community's air, water, and soils.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat), human health/environmental health (toxic substances) (hazardous waste) (contaminated sites), international/bilateral issues (international environmental agreements) (transboundary concerns), other (federal-provincial co-operation) (military-defence), and water issues (water quality) (Great Lakes)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 127: Protection of fish habitat in riparian and streamside areas in British Columbia
Date submitted: 7 September 2004
Petitioner(s): West Coast Environmental Law
Summary: This petition concerns Fisheries and Oceans Canada's protection of fish habitat in streams in British Columbia communities. The petitioner alleges that by relying on provincial regulatory mechanisms to satisfy compliance with the Fisheries Act, the Department may be unable to prevent the harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction of fish habitat. The petitioner is not convinced that the province's new Riparian Areas Regulation will sufficiently protect fish habitat in streams. The petitioner requests that Fisheries and Oceans Canada work with the province to improve the regulation prior to its introduction in early 2005, to ensure that it will be effective and enforceable.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat) (conservation) (enforcement) and other (federal-provincial co-operation)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 126A: Fumigants and other pesticides in shipping containers
Date submitted: 25 August 2004
Petitioner(s): Tom Edwards
Summary: This petition concerns the report of a workplace incident involving a shipping pallet from overseas. The petitioner alleges that he was exposed to a toxic and banned pesticide when he opened the shipping pallet. There were no warnings or labels on the pallet. The petitioner asks the federal government to investigate the alleged use of a banned and toxic pesticide in the shipments that he handled and to implement measures to protect workers from inadvertent exposure to potentially toxic pesticides in shipping containers.
Issues: Human health/environmental health (pesticides) and transportation (shipping)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Health Canada and Transport Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 125: Federal regulation of genetically modified organisms
Date submitted: 16 August 2004
Petitioner(s): Jenn Robus
Summary: This petition concerns the assessment and regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Canada. The petitioner is primarily concerned about the regulation of plant biotechnology and asks specific questions about the following: how departments determine whether or not a plant with novel traits is safe; the regulations and policies governing farm borders and farmers' rights in areas where genetically modified crops are produced; departments' review and enforcement of policies on GMOs; and departments' approaches to addressing public concerns about GMOs.
Issues: Biotechnology (GMOs) (regulation and policy) (enforcement)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Health Canada, Environment Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 124: Enforcement of the Fisheries Act in the Province of Quebec
Date submitted: 11 August 2004
Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident
Summary: The petitioner alleges that the enforcement of federal fish habitat protection laws (primarily Section 35 of the Fisheries Act) is under-resourced in Quebec and that fish habitat is not being adequately protected there. The petitioner believes that a number of projects involving water-flow modifications have received provincial approval without due consideration to federal Fisheries Act requirements. The petitioner requests that Fisheries and Oceans Canada strengthen its enforcement activities in Quebec in order to protect fish habitat in that jurisdiction.
Issues: Fisheries (habitat) (enforcement)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 123: Resort development near Invermere, British Columbia
Date submitted: 26 July 2004
Petitioner(s): Jumbo Creek Conservation Society
Summary: This petition concerns the possible environmental effects from the development of a four-season resort in the Jumbo Valley near Invermere, British Columbia. The petitioners are concerned that water quality, aquatic habitat, fisheries resources, wildlife populations, and the water supply to the Columbia River and adjacent wetlands will be negatively affected if the project goes forward as proposed. The petitioners also question whether Indian and Northern Affairs Canada should be involved, given that the project site is located within an area of interest for treaty negotiations.
Issues: Biological diversity (endangered species) (habitat) (wetlands) (wildlife) (watershed protection), environmental assessment, fisheries (habitat) (conservation), international/bilateral issues (international environmental agreements) (transboundary concerns), other (Aboriginal concerns), and water issues (watershed protection)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, and Transport Canada
Status: Completed
Petition No. 122A: Housing development near Mission, British Columbia
Date submitted: 22 July 2004
Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident
Summary: This petition concerns a proposed housing development near Mission, British Columbia. The petitioner believes that the development will damage the Silvermere/Stave River ecosystem and affect spawning salmon. The area is home to a number of listed endangered species that fledge and forage nearby. The petitioner asks that a statutory review or federal environmental assessment of the development proposal be conducted.
Issues: Biological diversity (endangered species) (habitat) (wetlands) (wildlife) (watershed protection) and fisheries (habitat) (conservation) (enforcement)
Federal departments/agencies replying: Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Status: Completed