A new federal review of environmental legislation weakened by the Harper government has just been announced this afternoon. The Council of Canadians is available for comment.
“Industry – especially the oil industry – was responsible for gutting this legislation and should not be allowed to water down the review process. This review needs to be independent and public to ensure we adequately protect all water in Canada,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “We need to make sure that industry does not hijack this legislation, as it did under the Harper government.”
The Council is calling for the review panel to restore and improve water protections removed by the Harper government from the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Fisheries Act and the Canada Environmental Assessment Act.
“We’re calling on the Liberal government to keep their promise of restoring these three key water protection acts,” says Mark Calzavara, Ontario Regional Organizer with the Council of Canadians.
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