How to Comment
The EBR gives you a way to help shape proposed environmental Acts, regulations, instruments and policies to protect the environment. You have the right to comment on environmental decisions proposed by the Ontario government — right from the start.
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1. Proposal posted on Environmental Registry
The ministry posts an environmentally significant proposal on the Environmental Registry. The notice is posted for a minimum of 30 days. It summarizes the proposal, tells you how you can participate, the deadline by which you must get your comments in, where to send them, and where you can get additional information.
If you think you need additional time to comment on a proposal, you can request an extension of the comment period. Make sure you send your request to the ministry before the comment period on the proposal ends, and if possible, send a copy of your request to the ECO.
2. Prepare your Comments
If you decide to participate, put your comments in writing. Remember to ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have all the information I need? (Written material on the proposal can be reviewed at a ministry office. In some cases, the ministry contact person may be able to provide more information.)
- Do I need expert advice?
- Is my submission clear and thorough?
- Did I include all relevant supporting material?
- Have I contacted others who may also be interested in the proposal?
3. Send your comments to the ministry
Send your written comments to the ministry contact person listed at the end of the proposal within the time frame in the notice. If possible, send a copy of your comments to the ECO at the same time. The proposal notice will specify the information you must include with your comments (for example, the Ministry of the Environment requires that the Registry proposal number be included with your comments).
4. Decisions are posted by the ministry on the Environmental Registry
After the ministry reviews all written comments and considers all those relevant to the decision, the final decision is posted on the Environmental Registry, including an indication of the number of comments received and how the ministry considered the comments. Since the minister does not have to decide whether to approve a particular proposal within a set time frame, you may have to monitor the Registry for several months.
5. See how your comments were considered
Review the decision to see if your comments were considered. The ECO reviews ministry decisions to see how comments were taken into account and reports annually on whether ministries complied with the requirements of the EBR.
