Deregulation and Privatization of Municipal Water
Prime Minister Harper has just signed the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). There are three major reasons that Canadians should be concerned.
1. Increased agricultural Trade
It takes approximately 15 million tons of water to produce 1 ton of beef. Through this agreement, farmers are able to export up to 70,000 tons of beef to Europe. Putting a huge strain on the fresh water supply. As well, it increases intensive hog cultivation which is already causing major nutrient overloading and essentially killing lake Winnipeg. This huge new trade deal is putting huge strain and pushing water sources beyond their capacity.
2. French companies Suez and Veolia
These are the two biggest water operators in the world. They now have access to our private water for profit. With this agreement, municipalities are forced to privatize their water. Municipalities no longer get federal funding unless they agree to engage in the public-private partnership model. Many municipalities have already put their water up for bid. This directly violates Canada’s water as a public trust.
3. The Rights of the Water
Any new environmental, health and safety laws put in place after the investment is made, entitle the foreign companies to compensation. For example. American energy company is suing Canada for $250 million in damages using a similar NAFTA rule because Quebec decided to protect its water by placing a moratorium on fracking.
These companies are now claiming ownership of the water.
An American company has already found success here when they sued Newfoundland for $130 million for “water rights”. The company left behind destroyed land from their pulp and paper mill. Not to mention the workers left without jobs or pension.
Now this deregulation is locked in as corporations from Europe as well as the U.S. can soon claim to have invested in an environment without water protection rules and sue any future government that tries to undo the damage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/maude-barlow/canada-eu-water-deal_b_4122048.html
1. Increased agricultural Trade
It takes approximately 15 million tons of water to produce 1 ton of beef. Through this agreement, farmers are able to export up to 70,000 tons of beef to Europe. Putting a huge strain on the fresh water supply. As well, it increases intensive hog cultivation which is already causing major nutrient overloading and essentially killing lake Winnipeg. This huge new trade deal is putting huge strain and pushing water sources beyond their capacity.
2. French companies Suez and Veolia
These are the two biggest water operators in the world. They now have access to our private water for profit. With this agreement, municipalities are forced to privatize their water. Municipalities no longer get federal funding unless they agree to engage in the public-private partnership model. Many municipalities have already put their water up for bid. This directly violates Canada’s water as a public trust.
3. The Rights of the Water
Any new environmental, health and safety laws put in place after the investment is made, entitle the foreign companies to compensation. For example. American energy company is suing Canada for $250 million in damages using a similar NAFTA rule because Quebec decided to protect its water by placing a moratorium on fracking.
These companies are now claiming ownership of the water.
An American company has already found success here when they sued Newfoundland for $130 million for “water rights”. The company left behind destroyed land from their pulp and paper mill. Not to mention the workers left without jobs or pension.
Now this deregulation is locked in as corporations from Europe as well as the U.S. can soon claim to have invested in an environment without water protection rules and sue any future government that tries to undo the damage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/maude-barlow/canada-eu-water-deal_b_4122048.html
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What is bill C-45? How does this bill change Canada? What do I, as a concerned citizen, need to know?Both Bills C-38 and C-45 directly attacked Canada’s environmental laws. The stealth and ruthlessness by which the Conservative government has attacked the environment sends a clear message to Canadians that the safety of the land, water, air, and citizens is a lower priority than exploiting
non-renewable mineral and hydrocarbon resources. Bill C-45 dismantles one of Canada’s oldest federal environmental laws. The Navigable Waters Protection Act was enacted in 1882. It was designed to protect Canadians’ right to navigate waterways without interference from bridges, dams, pipelines, logging operations, and other developments. The Act was altered in 2009 under another omnibus budget bill by the then minority Conservative government. Changes in 2009 reduced the number and types of projects subject to approvals under the Act that could trigger a federal environmental assessment. |
Bill C-45 does not just tinker with the Act but erases any connection between navigation and the environment. C-45 replaces the Navigable Waters Protection Act with the Navigation Protection Act. As Ecojustice has stated in its thorough review: “the law will no longer protect navigable waters – it will only protect navigation.”30 Under the new Act, proponents of industrial and infrastructure projects have unfettered access to disrupt and impact waterways without regard for environmental or navigation rights. Through the dismantling of the Navigable Waters Protection Act:
• Navigation and environmental rights related to more than 99% of
Canada’s lakes and rivers are unprotected. Now only 97 lakes and just
62 rivers retain some protection.32 Of the 97 lakes retaining some
protection, 87% are in ridings with Conservative MPs. In the NWT, only
Great Slave Lake, Great Bear Lake, and the Mackenzie River are
protected under the new Act.
• Important water bodies that provide safe drinking water, support fish
resources, enable navigation for subsistence or recreation purposes, or
have heritage values are now unprotected from development.
• Treaty and constitutional rights and responsibilities have been violated
as changes were made without any consultation with First Nations.
• Canada is now at risk as we may be unable to fulfill international
obligations under the Boundary Waters Treaty.
• Opportunities for public participation in decisions about water bodies
are severely diminished and in most cases, at the discretion of the
Minister.
http://www.dennisbevington.ca/pdfs/en/2013/Bill_C-45_Final_Report_English.pdf
• Navigation and environmental rights related to more than 99% of
Canada’s lakes and rivers are unprotected. Now only 97 lakes and just
62 rivers retain some protection.32 Of the 97 lakes retaining some
protection, 87% are in ridings with Conservative MPs. In the NWT, only
Great Slave Lake, Great Bear Lake, and the Mackenzie River are
protected under the new Act.
• Important water bodies that provide safe drinking water, support fish
resources, enable navigation for subsistence or recreation purposes, or
have heritage values are now unprotected from development.
• Treaty and constitutional rights and responsibilities have been violated
as changes were made without any consultation with First Nations.
• Canada is now at risk as we may be unable to fulfill international
obligations under the Boundary Waters Treaty.
• Opportunities for public participation in decisions about water bodies
are severely diminished and in most cases, at the discretion of the
Minister.
http://www.dennisbevington.ca/pdfs/en/2013/Bill_C-45_Final_Report_English.pdf
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Bill C-45 Greatly Diminishes Right to Unimpeded Navigable Waters
In Bill C-38, Stephen Harper gutted environmental laws brought in by Brian Mulroney. Now he has gone after environmental laws brought in by Sir John A. Macdonald.
Bill C-45, a second Act to Implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, the Conservatives’ latest omnibus bill, has weakened Canadians’ historic right to navigate the lakes, rivers, and streams of Canada without being impeded by pipelines, bridges, power lines, dams, mining and forestry equipment, and more.
The Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) of 1882, considered Canada’s first environmental law, has been changed – to the Navigation Protection Act. If a body of water is not mentioned in Schedule 2 on page 424, it will no longer be covered under the NWPA permit process from the rampant resource development being advocated by the Harper Conservatives.
“This is nothing less than tragic for the majority of Canadians who love and respect our waterways from coast to coast to coast,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, MP Saanich-Gulf Islands. “Even rivers like the Margaree River in Cape Breton, a National Heritage River, will no longer be covered by the NWPA. The only river listed in the entire Yukon is the Yukon River.
“Our inland harbours, including Shoal Harbour in my riding, and gulfs, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, will be vulnerable.”
The Conservatives first weakened the NWPA in the 2009 budget when they curtailed the heritage rights of anglers, hunters, cottagers, and paddlers to access our streams, lakes, rivers, and other waterways. Under the previous version of the NWPA, any body of water deemed navigable could be accessed to the high water mark without that being considered trespassing.
Under the Harper version, a natural body of water was considered navigable only when the Minister of Transport deemed it so. The Minister of Transport was also given arbitrary power to exempt certain “works” from assessment or oversight – like dams, bridges, booms, and causeways – without public consultation, transparent disclosure, or a review of any kind. The Minister could also set up an arbitrary “class system” for waterways, and exempt them from the Environmental Assessment Act (now greatly weakened too).
With Bill C-38, further changes to the NWPA made pipelines and power lines exempt from the provisions of the Act. Also, the National Energy Board took control over the NWPA whenever a pipeline crossed a navigable water.
“This is a real threat for thousands of our pristine waterways,” said May.
Media Contact:
Debra Eindiguer
[email protected]
613-240-8921
Bill C-45, a second Act to Implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, the Conservatives’ latest omnibus bill, has weakened Canadians’ historic right to navigate the lakes, rivers, and streams of Canada without being impeded by pipelines, bridges, power lines, dams, mining and forestry equipment, and more.
The Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) of 1882, considered Canada’s first environmental law, has been changed – to the Navigation Protection Act. If a body of water is not mentioned in Schedule 2 on page 424, it will no longer be covered under the NWPA permit process from the rampant resource development being advocated by the Harper Conservatives.
“This is nothing less than tragic for the majority of Canadians who love and respect our waterways from coast to coast to coast,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, MP Saanich-Gulf Islands. “Even rivers like the Margaree River in Cape Breton, a National Heritage River, will no longer be covered by the NWPA. The only river listed in the entire Yukon is the Yukon River.
“Our inland harbours, including Shoal Harbour in my riding, and gulfs, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, will be vulnerable.”
The Conservatives first weakened the NWPA in the 2009 budget when they curtailed the heritage rights of anglers, hunters, cottagers, and paddlers to access our streams, lakes, rivers, and other waterways. Under the previous version of the NWPA, any body of water deemed navigable could be accessed to the high water mark without that being considered trespassing.
Under the Harper version, a natural body of water was considered navigable only when the Minister of Transport deemed it so. The Minister of Transport was also given arbitrary power to exempt certain “works” from assessment or oversight – like dams, bridges, booms, and causeways – without public consultation, transparent disclosure, or a review of any kind. The Minister could also set up an arbitrary “class system” for waterways, and exempt them from the Environmental Assessment Act (now greatly weakened too).
With Bill C-38, further changes to the NWPA made pipelines and power lines exempt from the provisions of the Act. Also, the National Energy Board took control over the NWPA whenever a pipeline crossed a navigable water.
“This is a real threat for thousands of our pristine waterways,” said May.
Media Contact:
Debra Eindiguer
[email protected]
613-240-8921
Major environmental groups oppose damaging federal omnibus Bill C-45
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Omnibus bill again hides big changes to environmental laws, subverting democracy, weakening protection of air, water, soil and ecosystems
TORONTO, ON AND VANCOUVER, BC-- Once again, the federal government is proposing to make significant changes to environmental legislation without proper democratic debate, according to many of Canada’s leading environmental organizations.
Instead, these changes are contained in a sweeping omnibus budget bill.
Canadians concerned about protecting the air, water, soil and natural ecosystems that support all of us -- and our economy -- are doubly troubled, both by the end-run around democratic process and the potential for even more pollution and destruction of habitat.
The bill includes proposed changes to laws protecting fish and navigable waters, preventing harm from hazardous waste and governing the shipping industry.
We will be reviewing these changes in more detail in the coming days to determine what impact they could have on environmental protection.
We note many of these pieces of legislation were also changed by the omnibus bill in the spring. Changing the same law twice in one year underlines the value of debating specific bills, through appropriate committees—the jobs our MPs are elected to do.
There is no need to subvert our legislative process in this manner, which only serves to heighten fears that already-weakened laws will get weaker still.
The groups issuing this statement are: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Equiterre, Greenpeace, Nature Canada, Pembina Institute, Sierra Club Canada, West Coast Environmental Law,WWF Canada
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For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Stephanie Kohls, Communications Director, Environmental Defence, 416-323-9521 ext. 232; 647-280-9521 (cell); [email protected]
West Coast Environmental Law Association:
Rachel Forbes, Staff Counsel, 604.601.2508 [email protected]
An Environmental review of Bill C-45
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