The Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 in Practice
The provincial ministries play a critical role in achieving the goals of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR). For the EBR to be effective, the Ontario government must ensure that the Act is kept up to date by prescribing new ministries, laws and instruments that are environmentally significant. Furthermore, ministries that are prescribed under the EBR must uphold their obligations under the Act: to develop and consider Statements of Environmental Values; and to properly post notices on the Environmental Registry for environmentally significant acts, regulations, policies and classified instruments.
Each year, the ECO reviews and reports on how well the various prescribed ministries are meeting their obligations under the EBR. Part 8 of the ECO Annual Report includes a summary of these reviews, including a discussion of:
- the Ontario government’s progress in prescribing new ministries and laws under the EBR;
- the quality of the notices posted by ministries on the Environmental Registry;
- failures of the prescribed ministries to post environmentally significant proposals on the
Environmental Registry for public notice and consultation;
- the ministries’ use of information notices;
- the ministries’ use of exception notices; and
- the level of co-operation of the prescribed ministries in responding to ECO requests for
information.
While the provincial government has the primary responsibility for achieving the goals of the EBR, the public also plays an important role in helping to achieve the Act’s goals. The EBR provides several legal tools that enable Ontarians to enforce and protect their environmental rights. Part 8 includes a summary of how members of the public have used their appeal and other legal rights during this reporting year.
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| This is an article from the 2010/11 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. |
Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2011. "The Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 in Practice." Engaging Solutions, ECO Annual Report, 2010/11. Toronto: The Queen's Printer for Ontario. 131.
