The Environmental Registry

The Environmental Registry is an Internet database of all the important proposals related to environmental decision-making by most Ontario government ministries. Ministries must post this information on the Registry so that the public is able to provide input on decisions before they are made.

About the Environmental Registry

The Registry gives you the information you need to participate in environmental decision-making, including:

• The text of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and its regulations.
• General EBR information.
• Ministries' Statements of Environmental Values.
• Summaries of proposed Acts, regulations, policies and instruments.
• Ministry decisions on proposed Acts, regulations, policies and instruments, and explanations of how public comments influenced the decisions.
• Notices of appeals of instruments and appeal decisions.
• Notices of court actions and final results.
• Links to the full text for many proposals for Acts, regulations and policies.

The ECO's Annual Reports on the Environmental Registry

Every year, in our Annual Reports, the ECO reviews the use of the Environmental Registry by prescribed ministries, evaluates the quality of the information ministries post on the Registry, and assesses whether the public’s participation rights under the EBR have been respected.

In March 2007, the Ministry of the Environment launched a redesigned and enhanced version of the Environmental Registry. The updated Registry provides a refreshed “look and feel” for users, and provides some important enhancements:

• map-based searching to help users find out what’s happening in their community;
• a “MyEBR” function that allows users to customize the Registry to quickly find the information that interests them the most;
• improved access to supporting documentation related to notices on the Registry; and
• on-line comment submission and improved access to comments submitted on proposals on the Registry.

The updated Environmental Registry makes it easier for members of the public to find and obtain information and to take part in environmentally significant government decision-making in Ontario.

Click here for more information about the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and our activities.