Canadians want strong environmental laws to protect our communities, ecosystems, health, and economy. Environmental law is about making sure the environment and the economy are equally protected and promoted, not just because we need them both, but because one begets the other.
The federal government has made it clear that they are significantly changing Canada's environmental laws as part of their plan to put private corporate and industry priorities ahead of the core values of Canadian citizens. Recklessly promoting industry at all costs is not the same as building a sustainable economy. Instead of weakening environmental laws, we think the government should be upholding its core repsonsibility to safeguard our families and nature from pollution, toxic contamination and other environmental problems.
Whether it is monitoring toxic contamination, preventing oil spills, sustaining fisheries' resources, creating national parks, or protecting ecosystems and species from extinction, the federal government is responsible for using environmental laws to promote healthy environments, people and economies.
Here are some of our general resources on federal environmental laws. Please see the issue area pages for specific information and links on each issue.
Open letter to MPs regarding Bill C-45 (PDF; November 2012)
Background Q&A- How Bill C-45 weakens our environmental laws and democracy (PDF; November 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law Submission to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources regarding Omnibus Bill C-45 (PDF; November 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law Submission to House of Commons Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development on Division 21 of Budget Bill C-45(PDF; November 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law Comments on Public Hearing and Confidentiality Procedures, New Prosperity Panel (PDF; September 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law Submission on CEAA Regulations August 2012 (PDF; August 2012)
Strong Environmental Laws Report Card on Bill C-38 and Supporting Legal Analysis (June 2012)
Ecojustice Environmental Hansard - a collection of all House of Commons discussions and debates about Canada’s environment.
West Coast Environmental Law's Submission to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources regarding Budget Bill C-38 (June 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law's Submission to House of Commons Finance Subcommittee on Part 3 of Budget Bill C-38 (May 2012)
Ecojustice & West Coast: Top 10 Environmental Concerns of the 2012 Budget Bill (May 2012) / French version: Ce que signifie le projet de loi C38 pour l’environnement (May 2012)
What Would Remain? CEAA 2012 Analysis by Professor Robert B. Gibson (working draft) (May 2012)
A Checklist for Strong Environmental Laws (February 2012)
Assessing the Smaller Projects: An Essential Step Toward Sustainability (March 2012)
West Coast Environmental Law's Myths and Realities on the 2012 Federal Budget (March 29, 2012)
Ecojustice blog and backgrounders: Why environmental law is good for the economy and the planet (March 2012)
West Coast blog: Fisheries Act amendments would be an attack on salmon (March 2012)
WWF-Canada blog: HADD enough? Keep habitat protection in the Federal Fisheries Act (March 2012)
Canadian Environmental Law Association's Legal Analysis and Letter to the PM regarding the Standing Committee Report (March 2012)
Please visit the following sites for resources and background information:
Canadian Environmental Network’s Environmental Planning and Assessment Caucus
West Coast Environmental Law
MiningWatch Canada
