Document 1
Policy Statement on
Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development
Introduction
Sustainable development means pursuing economic prosperity, fiscal
responsibility, environmental quality, cultural enrichment and social equity,
all at once. For municipalities, it means making financially sustainable
strategic decisions and implementing operational changes that support broader
social, economic, cultural and environmental objectives.
We need long-term economic security and social security before we can have
beneficial change. This security depends on environmentally sustainable
development, as well as on sharing fairly our human, financial and technical
resources. To make cities and communities sustainable, all orders of government
have to work with each other and with industry, non-governmental organizations,
Aboriginal peoples and community associations. We must also understand and
recognize the diversity of Canada's municipal sector, that it includes not just
big cities, but also rural, remote and northern communities.
Key Principles Sustainable Community Planning
Municipal planning plays a key role in making
sustainability possible. Without proper land-use patterns and density, we
cannot make the changes that will support public transit, community energy
systems and alternative financing for infrastructure.
Ecosystem Management
An ecosystem approach to management recognizes the
interrelated nature of air, land, water and living organisms. Rather than geopolitical
boundaries and departmental divisions, ecosystem management calls for the
development of effective partnerships that look at natural boundaries, such as
watersheds, as the unit of management. An ecosystem approach includes
consideration of the natural environment, society and economy, and incorporates
the broader concepts of sustainability.
Pollution Prevention
The principle of pollution prevention should be at
the centre of programs and policies delivered by all orders of government.
Pollution prevention suggests that environmental pollution is best prevented or
reduced at the source. Pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled,
treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Pollution
prevention can also be supported by implementing policies and programs that
reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased efficiency in
the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or by the
protection of natural resources through conservation initiatives.
Reducing the generation of wastes or contaminants at
the source reduces releases to the environment that can impair ecosystem
integrity, present risks to human health, and compromise the competitiveness of
Canada's cities and communities.
Full Cost Accounting
Full cost accounting integrates the internal and
external costs to the environment of activities, operations, products and
services. External costs include the environmental impacts of consuming a good
or service.
These external costs should be incorporated into
municipal tax rates, so that consumers see the full cost of providing a
service. Full cost accounting should also account for each community's
particular challenges and cost considerations. For example, rural, remote and
northern communities have a limited ability to generate revenue.
Polluter Pays Principle
The polluter-pays principle suggests that the costs
associated with environmental clean-up should be borne by the parties
responsible. First we have to define pollution clearly, identify the polluters,
and decide how much the polluters must pay and to whom.
Partnership
Municipalities must be fully engaged as partners in deciding on a national
vision to achieve Canada's environmental and sustainable development
objectives. As partners, municipal governments need policy consistency and
certainty, as well as a streamlined approach to regulatory and administrative
requirements.
Municipal governments also need long-term, stable
and predictable funding to support these mutually beneficial objectives.
Measurement and Reporting
All citizens must have access to information on
environmental conditions, including local data on water quality and quantity,
air quality, land-use patterns, and point and non-point sources of pollution.
Environmental conditions must be measured regularly, and the results should
inform decision-makers on progress towards stated objectives.
FCM Policies
Water
All Canadians must have access to adequate supplies
of clean, safe and reliable water to drink and for industrial, agricultural and
recreational purposes. Water resources should also be recognized for their
ecological function and intrinsic value. FCM supports a multi-barrier approach
to drinking water, comprising an integrated system of procedures, processes and
tools that, collectively, will prevent or reduce the contamination of drinking
water from source to tap and back to source, in order to reduce risks to public
health.
Municipal governments and other managers of
drinking-water systems must provide clean, safe and reliable drinking water.
While municipal governments ensure that water complies with provincial and
territorial regulations and any applicable federal legislation, some municipal
governments go beyond this minimum.
They are moving towards a more comprehensive,
multi-barrier approach to water-quality management. This approach includes
three primary components: the source water (ground or surface), the treatment
system and the distribution system. This approach limits the spread of
waterborne disease, since the weakness of one component can be offset by
strengthening or enhancing the remaining elements. This approach is also
consistent with FCM's principles of pollution prevention, ecosystem management,
full-cost accounting and sustainable community planning.
Environment Canada developed a Federal Water Policy in 1987 to help federal
decision-makers establish a clear and consistent water-policy framework that
would better coordinate water-quality management. While this policy has not
been updated since 1987, many of its goals and objectives remain valid. The
policy commits the federal government to:
- coordinate federal water policies among federal
departments and agencies;
regularly
review the water-related policies and programs of all federal departments to see
how these
- policies and programs support federal water
policy;
reconcile
the water-policy positions of all federal departments to promote a coordinated
and thoughtful
- federal approach;
- ensure amendments or additions to federal water
policy as appropriate; and
- apply the environmental assessment and review
process to examine federally sponsored water-related developments and projects.
Many municipalities are concerned about contaminated
sources of drinking water and degraded recreational water. While some municipal
governments have improved the quality of source water by adopting watershed
management and planning approaches for surface and ground water, all orders of
government have to improve and protect the quality of these resources. The
first steps are to strengthen the existing guidelines, update and enhance the
Federal Water Policy and develop a true partnership among all orders of
government.
Monitoring and measurement programs must also be
improved to ensure that all Canadians, particularly decision-makers, have
access to accurate, relevant and meaningful data on the quality of water
resources.
Strategies:
-
Participate in the review of Canada's water-quality guidelines.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to take the
lead in strengthening and harmonizing water quality objectives and requirements
across all Canadian jurisdictions.
- Call on the Government of Canada to work with
municipalities to review, update and implement the Federal Water Policy.
- Ensure municipal governments have access to the
necessary human, technical and financial resources to respond to regulatory and
other requirements related to drinking water quality and water supply.
- Inform advocacy efforts by
- identifying municipal concerns about emergency
preparedness and response, including insurance risks and human health; and
- reviewing federal, provincial and territorial
legislation on water licensing for agricultural, mining and other extractive
activities.
- Call on the Government of Canada to work with
provinces and territories to strengthen well-water testing and sampling
requirements so that private well users know whether their water is safe to
drink.
- Review the Municipal Drinking Water Quality Policy
of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the
- Environment and determine the role it could play
in improving drinking water quality.
Water Conservation
The Government of Canada, in partnership with all
orders of government, should establish a national strategy with performance
targets for water conservation and water-use efficiency.
Canadians think our freshwater is abundant, but
between 1994 and 1999 about 26 per cent of Canadian municipalities with water
distribution systems reported problems. The reasons varied, but Canadians
consume more water per person than do people anywhere else, except in the
United States. In addition, municipalities, which account for 11 per cent of
Canada's water withdrawals, compete with other users, including thermal power
(which accounts for 60 per cent of Canada's water use), industry, mining,
manufacturing and agriculture. Water availability is also affected by changing
weather and climatic conditions, including more frequent and worse droughts and
floods. Pollution of both surface water and groundwater has also compromised
water availability for municipalities.
To address concerns about water availability,
municipalities can introduce water conservation initiatives and water
efficiency measures, such as metering; flow control devices; water recycling
systems; changes in pricing, incentives and rate structures; regulations; and
water use restrictions. They can also improve water efficiency by minimizing
losses within municipal distribution systems, where poorly maintained systems
can lose close to 30 per cent of water due to leakages or other unaccounted-for
losses.
Rural communities can adopt these measures, but they
face other unique challenges, especially if they rely on private wells and
septic systems. Increasing pressures from multiple users are stressing
aquifers. In some cases supply is becoming limited and quality is being
compromised. In addition, well-water testing is infrequent and usually
voluntary, so at least a quarter of Canadians do not know whether their water
is safe.
Strategies:
- Recommend that the Government of Canada work with provincial, territorial and
municipal governments to establish a national strategy for water conservation,
including the following:
- goals for per capita water consumption;
- changes in the National Building Code to mandate
water-conserving equipment for domestic and industrial use; and
- support for moving towards universal metering,
when feasible and appropriate.
- Recommend that the Government of Canada, in
collaboration with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, develop a
monitoring strategy and inventory of Canada's water resources, including an
assessment of municipal water supply and availability.
- Encourage the federal, provincial and territorial
governments to work with municipal governments to assess the condition of
municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, and to determine and respond to
future funding needs.
Wastewater
A Canada-wide strategy for managing municipal wastewater effluents must include
a comprehensive approach to environmental risk management, a harmonized
approach to regulation, coordinated science and research initiatives, and a
financing strategy that will assist municipal governments in responding to the
strategy's recommended management approach. In partnership with federal,
provincial and territorial governments, all municipal governments will ensure
wastewater will receive, at minimum, secondary treatment.
Municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) includes
ammonia dissolved in water, inorganic chloramines and chlorinated wastewater
effluents. MWWE represents one of the largest sources of pollution, by volume,
discharged to surface water bodies in Canada. MWWE is currently managed through
a variety of federal, provincial/territorial and municipal policies, by-laws
and legislation. The federal government administers and enforces the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and the Fisheries Act. Provinces and
territories approve the design and construction of wastewater collection and
treatment systems, issue permits for operations, specify local operating
requirements and provide financial support to municipal governments.
Since municipal wastewater effluents are identified as being toxic under CEPA,
the Minister of the Environment must propose a preventive or control
instrument. Environment Canada will develop a CEPA guideline for ammonia and
will work with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) on a
Canada-wide strategy for municipal wastewater effluents. Environment Canada
also intends to develop a management strategy that would include a regulation
under the Fisheries Act, based on a harmonized regulatory framework and common
standards for specific pollutants, including ammonia and chlorine.
The CCME has established a committee to help develop a Canada-wide strategy for
MWWE by December 2006. The strategy will address a number of governance and
technical issues. It will focus on developing a harmonized regulatory
framework, a coordinated approach to science and research, and an environmental
risk management model to be applied at the site-specific level. The CCME
process will also review the implementation costs that Canadian municipalities
may face as a result of the recommendations arising from the strategy.
Canada's municipalities recognize that wastewater effluent can harm receiving
waters. They are willing to work with all orders of government to ensure
wastewater is properly treated before being discharged into Canada's lakes,
rivers, streams and oceans. However, it can be prohibitively expensive to
improve wastewater treatment systems, particularly for Aboriginal, rural,
remote and northern communities. FCM asks that federal, provincial and
territorial governments work with their municipal partners to ensure they have
access to the human, technical and financial resources they need to fulfill
their obligations.
Strategies:
- Ensure that proposed wastewater management requirements and options include
appropriate analysis of environmental, social and economic implications, and
that they reflect site-specific realities.
- Continue to participate in the CCME's Municipal
Wastewater Effluent Core Advisory Group and ensure municipal concerns are
reflected in the Canada-wide strategy.
- Call on the federal, provincial and territorial
governments to help municipalities respond to the recommendations arising from
the Canada-wide strategy by ensuring municipal governments have access to
long-term, stable and predictable financing options.
Trans-boundary Water Issues
Municipal governments must be seen as partners in
determining the goals, priorities and institutional arrangements of the renewed
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Municipal governments should be fully
engaged in decision-making processes related to water extractions, diversions
and inter-basin transfers, and they should be fully informed of the potential
environmental, economic and social impacts of such activities.
Water diversions and inter-basin transfers are a way to meet water resource and
economic development objectives, such as energy generation, irrigation and
industrial output. However, large-scale diversions and transfers are beginning
to face serious public opposition. Transfers and diversions diminish water
availability and quality. They can also introduce invasive species, and they
create large reservoirs that can lead to dangerous floods.
While provincial and territorial regulations largely prohibit bulk water
transport beyond their boundaries, the federal position is less clear. The
Government of Canada generally opposes bulk water removals, including
inter-basin diversions, but when it comes to smaller diversions, the
decision-making process is less certain.
Canada and the United States share the Great Lakes ecosystem, presenting
another layer of complication.
Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), the two governments
agree to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity
of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
The GLWQA recommends that the federal, provincial
and territorial governments finance improvements to water and wastewater
infrastructure in municipal jurisdictions, and that they help municipal
governments remediate harbours and other waterfront properties. This approach
presents an opportunity for municipal governments to work with federal, provincial
and territorial governments to improve ambient water quality conditions and
infrastructure in coastal regions.
Strategies:
- Ensure municipalities are engaged in the review process for the GLWQA.
- Identify priority issue areas for municipal engagement
under the new GLWQA.
- Review the federal position on bulk water
transport and inter-basin transfers, and ensure that the decision-making
process for both large and small projects consider the economic benefits to
society, the environmental impacts of ecosystem disruption, and the social and
economic impact on communities within affected watersheds.
- Identify additional emerging issues related to
inter-basin transfers in Canada and internationally, to bulk water transport
and export, and to the sale of bottled water.
Climate Change
FCM supports the Government of Canada's ratification
of the Kyoto Protocol.
Canada's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol is to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent below 1990 emissions from 2008
to 2012. FCM supports Canada's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, provided
that the following principles are met:
- No region of the country bears an unreasonable
cost related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- The costs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
related to producing oil and gas and electricity are allocated to consuming
jurisdictions and sectors, rather than producing jurisdictions;
- Carbon sinks in the forestry and agriculture
sectors, particularly in western Canada, are pursued as part of a national strategy
to diversify rural economies through development of a bio-economy;
- Investment is made in research and development,
pilot projects and commercialization of technologies and processes that remove
carbon dioxide from waste streams; and
- Canada's action plan to meet the Kyoto target
maximizes improvements in productivity and competitiveness.
Strategies:
- FCM will encourage the new government to recognize its commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol and to demonstrate best efforts in working towards emission
reduction targets.
- FCM will work with the new government to ensure
climate change strategies are consistent with FCM's principles for
ratification.
Municipal governments commit themselves, in a manner that is appropriate to
individual circumstances and capabilities, to implementing policies and
operational changes that will achieve a global reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions of 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050, based on 1990 levels.
Municipal governments will also report on progress towards
achieving these annual targets.
To meet these goals, municipalities request that federal, provincial and
territorial governments recognize the fundamental role of municipal government
in mitigating and adapting to climate change; partner with them to enhance
their technical, human and financial capacity and legislative authority; and
fully engage them when making decisions on climate change policies.
FCM also supports the development of a domestic offset system for greenhouse
gas emissions, which includes opportunities for participation of municipal
governments.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In Canada, close to 55 per cent of the country's
greenhouse gas emissions can be influenced by decisions made by municipal
governments. Municipalities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land
use, energy and transportation planning; infrastructure design; green
procurement; building retrofits; water conservation; solid waste diversion; and
the use of distributed energy systems. Municipalities that reduce emissions
will help combat climate change, but perhaps just as importantly, they can
achieve such benefits as cost savings through improved energy efficiency,
cleaner air, reduced traffic congestion and new job opportunities.
Municipal governments recognize that climate change
is a major global challenge requiring urgent and concerted action and
collaboration by all orders of government. They understand that they can play a
critical role in reducing human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. With this knowledge
in mind, FCM has endorsed the World Mayors and Municipal Leaders Declaration on
Climate Change, which commits municipal governments to policies and operational
changes that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 30 per cent
by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2050. With this endorsement comes a recognition
that each municipality will respond in a way that is appropriate to individual
circumstances and abilities.
Several of Canada's municipalities have already established greenhouse gas emission
reduction targets and plans for their municipal operations. However, while some
municipalities such as the City of Calgary have adopted innovative climate
change plans, others are struggling to stretch their limited resources and
in-house capacity to implement climate change programs and policies. The
Government of Canada's announcement that it will provide more money for public
transit and other forms of sustainable infrastructure is an important step, but
we need a more concerted and strategic effort if we are to achieve concrete
results.
Adapting to Change
Among the anticipated impacts of climate change are
increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events, greater incidence
of severe floods, drought and pest infestations, changes in migration patterns
for migratory species, and shifting freeze-thaw cycles. These impacts will be
particularly severe in Canada's north, where changes in ice thickness,
permafrost coverage and vegetation have already been observed.
Climate change puts at risk such municipal assets as roads and bridges,
transportation systems, water and wastewater systems, and coastal
infrastructure. In the North, climate change will also affect the ice roads
system, seriously limiting the transportation of goods and delaying economic
development.
We can minimize these risks by investing in emergency preparedness and response
systems, by incorporating loss prevention and adaptation into long-term
sustainability plans, and by investing in resilient infrastructure.
Municipalities can adapt to climate change by planning for it. Building codes
should require construction techniques that make structures more resistant to
natural hazards. Higher tolerances should be included in the design criteria
for infrastructure. Sanitary and storm sewers, for example, should be built to
account for flooding.
Some municipalities, including participants in FCM's Partners for Climate
Protection Program, are already adapting to climate change and are
demonstrating how climate change initiatives can contribute to economic,
social, cultural and environmental benefits.
Strategies:
- Explore opportunities for FCM to assist municipalities in applying for,
verifying and certifying emissions reduction and removal credits.
- Call on federal, provincial and territorial
governments to partner with municipalities in developing greenhouse gas
emissions inventories.
- Ask the Government of Canada to work with
municipalities to develop and implement energy conservation programs and to
undertake community energy planning initiatives.
- Continue to participate in and support the
initiatives of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation
- Research Network (C-CIARN), including the network's research initiatives
related to adaptation for municipal government.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to expand its
monitoring and reporting network to include climate-related data and
information.
- Ensure municipal governments have access to the
necessary tools and resources to identify future impacts and vulnerabilities,
and to implement the necessary policies and procedures to effectively adapt to
climate change.
- Ask the Government of Canada to establish minimum
efficiency standards for new power generation facilities.
- Explore opportunities for working with the U.S.
Conference of Mayors and establish a network of lead communities to facilitate
information exchange and ongoing dialogue.
- Call on federal, provincial and territorial
governments to limit off-loading of greenhouse gas reduction responsibilities
to municipal governments by committing to a vision and plan for climate change
that includes the appropriate allocation of resources required to fulfill these
responsibilities and priorities at the local level.
Air
The Government of Canada must ensure Canadians have access to accurate
information on local air quality conditions; partner with provincial and
territorial governments to strengthen air emission requirements for industry
and the transportation sector; and provide financial resources to support
municipalities in delivering smog reduction programs. To eliminate the
prevalence of smog alerts, the Government of Canada must strengthen air quality
legislation to ensure emissions of smog-causing pollutants are drastically
reduced.
Ground-level ozone is a major component of urban smog and one of Canada's most
serious air quality problems. This ozone affects both urban and rural
municipalities. The federal government provides leadership in ensuring Canada's
air quality does not compromise human health and the environment, but
protecting Canada's air requires collaboration among all orders of government
and industry. The success of any national smog program also requires the
support and participation of individuals and their communities and depends on
other countries' efforts to reduce emissions, particularly those of the United
States.
Some municipalities have the authority to enact air quality by-laws. In some
special cases, the provinces have delegated formal responsibility to
municipalities for managing air quality and issuing permits. In addition, given
their involvement in public transit and land use planning, municipal
governments are important players in "greening" transportation, a key
element in reducing smog.
The key legislation that authorizes the federal government to take action on
smog is the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which gives the
Minister of the Environment the authority to conduct research, collect data,
and establish national objectives, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the
environment. It also authorizes the federal government to regulate the content
and physical properties of fuels, as well as air pollution from federal
operations and federal lands.
Despite the recognized need for a comprehensive tool kit, the federal approach
has relied largely on voluntary mechanisms and the cooperation of provinces,
territories and industry, particularly for stationary or point sources of
smog-causing pollutants. It has made only limited use of economic instruments
and only selective use of regulatory instruments to reduce smog.
Strategies:
- Ensure the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces, territories
and municipal governments, enacts and enforces strong legislation directed at
smog-causing pollutants.
- Work with federal, provincial and territorial
governments to identify key air quality indicators, such as morbidity, and to
ensure air quality information is accessible and available to all citizens and
decision-makers at the local level.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to take the
lead in developing economic instruments that will provide additional incentives
to reduce emissions of smog-causing pollutants.
- Ensure FCM is included in the review of CEPA and
in the Clean Air Agenda.
Waste
Canadian waste issues must be dealt with in Canada. The Government of Canada,
in partnership with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, must
establish a comprehensive, national strategy for municipal solid waste, with an
emphasis on extended producer responsibility and waste reduction. Canada must
achieve, at minimum, 50 per cent diversion of waste from disposal.
In Canada, municipal governments are responsible for waste management services,
including residential waste collection, management of current and closed landfills,
treatment and disposal of toxic substances, and recycling programs. This work
is expensive. While per capita waste production has declined in some regions,
the overall volume of solid waste destined for municipal landfills continues to
climb, often exceeding current and projected landfill capacities.
All orders of government have shown some leadership on product stewardship,
waste reduction and waste management, but there is no national policy framework
for municipal solid waste. Instead, there is a patchwork of policies and
regulations across jurisdictions, product types and waste streams.
To improve
policy consistency and regulatory certainty, FCM encourages the Government of
Canada to work with provinces, territories and industry on a comprehensive
national waste management policy that emphasizes extended producer
responsibility, environmentally friendly design and lifecycle management. The
national strategy should include strategies for waste reduction and ensure that
municipalities have access to long-term, stable and predictable funding that
will allow them to invest in innovative waste management facilities and waste
diversion programs. A national policy framework should also place volume limits
on packaging, introduce standards for enhanced product recyclability and
encourage the standardization of packaging types. Municipal programs would
reduce waste management costs. Developing and adopting a comprehensive waste
management policy, while using effective market-based instruments, will help establish
a level playing field for industry. It will also encourage and reward
innovation.
FCM also supports the efforts of Environment Canada, along with CCME, to
promote extended producer responsibility. This concept improves the management
of products throughout their lifecycle and highlights opportunities for waste
reduction through materials recovery and product redesign. FCM encourages the
federal government, in collaboration with the CCME, to find efficient ways to
transfer the costs and physical responsibility of waste management from the
general taxpayer to the producer.
Waste management strategies must also support Canada's climate change
objectives and broader sustainability goals. Canadian municipalities must be
given the opportunity to use new technology to manage municipal solid waste.
They should be provided with incentives to derive energy from waste. To this
end, the federal government must take the lead in ensuring provincial and
territorial environmental assessment protocols and requirements are clear and
consistent across all jurisdictions. It must also ensure that the environmental
benefits of waste-to-energy initiatives are recognized in federal, provincial
and territorial legislation and regulations.
Strategies:
- Ensure municipal governments are engaged in the process of developing
regulations for the export and import of prescribed non-hazardous wastes for
final disposal.
- Ensure Canadian municipal solid waste issues are
dealt with in Canada.
- Ensure municipalities have access to long-term,
stable and predictable funding to allow for investment in innovative waste
management facilities and programs.
- Work with other orders of government to develop
streamlined environmental assessment protocols for waste management.
- Ensure municipal projects that reduce greenhouse
gas emissions are eligible for credit under the Domestic Offset System for
Greenhouse Gases.
- Ask the Government of Canada to work with the
provinces and territories to establish volume limits on packaging, maximize
product recyclability and standardize packaging types in accordance with
municipal programs to reduce waste management costs and shift responsibility to
the producer.
- Enhance recognition of the need for partnership
among all orders of government and the need to engage industry and other
stakeholders in developing and implementing the strategy.
- Continue to work with the CCME on extended
producer responsibility strategies.
- Ask the Government of Canada to revisit the
National Packaging Protocol and encourage ongoing reduction of product
packaging.
- Ensure the Government of Canada's new regulations
respecting the transboundary movement of non-hazardous waste emphasize source
reduction and deal with Canadian waste issues in Canada.
- Refine FCM's policy on household hazardous waste.
- Determine the desirability and feasibility of
establishing a zero-waste target for Canadian municipalities.
Brownfields
FCM supports the recommendations made by the National Roundtable for the
Environment and the Economy for a National Brownfields Redevelopment Strategy.
Brownfields are abandoned, idle or underutilized commercial or industrial
properties where there is known or suspected contamination. It is estimated
that there are more than 30,000 brownfield sites in Canada, including
decommissioned refineries, former railway yards, old waterfronts and
riverbanks, abandoned gas stations and former commercial properties where toxic
substances may have been used or stored.
While idle, abandoned or underused sites represent a significant economic loss
to municipalities, brownfields can also represent a significant economic
opportunity. The cleanup and redevelopment of these sites can create new jobs,
stimulate construction of new housing developments, reduce risks to human
health and the environment, and produce millions of dollars in additional
property taxes. Redevelopment of brownfields is also essential for sustainable
community planning and urban revitalization. Strategic redevelopment can
support broader transportation, housing, infrastructure, energy and economic
development objectives. In addition, redeveloped brownfields typically use
existing municipal infrastructure and are strategically located along existing
transportation corridors.
Despite the potential for reclamation, there are several barriers to
redevelopment, including lack of access to capital, limited access to insurance
protection, regulatory delays, stigma and risk perception, and lack of
awareness among key interest groups. These barriers have forced many brownfield
sites to remain abandoned or idle, with limited opportunity for remediation or
reuse without strategic intervention.
Reclamation of brownfields can support several federal objectives, including
those related to climate change, clean air and clean water. The Government of
Canada has an opportunity to take the redevelopment lead by responding to the
National Roundtable for the Environment and the Economy's (NRTEE's) 2003
recommendations, which include amending the Income Tax Act to allow remediation
expenses to be deducted in the year incurred, creating a Scientific Research
and Experimental Deduction Program tax credit for brownfield remediation costs,
removing federal liens and tax arrears from qualifying sites, and expanding
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's mandate and funding to provide
mortgage insurance for redevelopment projects at qualifying brownfield sites.
The Government of Canada could speed up
redevelopment by establishing a federal coordinating office that would work
closely with all orders of government to provide participants in brownfield
redevelopment initiatives with a clear, fair and consistent public policy
regime.
Strategies:
- Urge the Government of Canada to respond to all recommendations included in
the NRTEE's 2003 report.
- Ask the Government of Canada to implement
immediately the recommendations put forward in the
- Canadian Brownfields Network's (CBN's) National Framework for Encouraging
Redevelopment of Qualifying Brownfields through Removal of Crown Liens and Tax Arrears.
- Work with other organizations, such as the CBN, to
ensure the NRTEE's recommended approach for a national strategy is fully
implemented.
- Ensure municipal concerns are voiced in all
brownfield consultation initiatives.
- Ask the Government of Canada to establish a
federal coordinating office for brownfields, which would work closely with all
orders of government to provide participants in brownfield redevelopment
initiatives with a clear, fair and consistent public policy regime for issues
associated with civil and regulatory liability and other challenges associated
with redevelopment.
Pesticides
The Government of Canada must strengthen the risk assessment and management
process for pesticide products. Municipalities must be given the authority to
limit the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes on both private and
municipally owned property.
Pesticides are a concern to human health and the environment. They are of
particular concern to such vulnerable populations as pregnant women, the elderly,
children and people with chemical sensitivities, allergies and immune system
deficiencies. Adverse effects attributed to pesticide exposure include
reproductive effects, chromosomal abnormalities, higher risk for some cancers
and physiological dysfunction. The release of pesticides into the environment
also has ecological effects, including unintended extermination of beneficial
insects and other invertebrates, as well as bioaccumulation of toxic substances
in the food chain. As a result of atmospheric transportation, certain
substances contained in pesticides are also found in northern and Arctic
regions.
While pesticides can damage human health and the environment, they do produce
some important benefits: pesticides can reduce the promulgation of pest-borne
disease and allergens; they are relatively inexpensive to use; and they can
limit the spread of invasive and alien species to adjacent lands.
Pesticides sold in, used in and imported into Canada are regulated under the
Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). The federal government administers the act,
registers pest control products, promotes sustainable pest management and
re-evaluates registered products. The authority to regulate the sale, use,
storage, transportation and disposal of pesticides that have been registered
under the PCPA lies with the provinces and territories, which may choose to
prohibit the use of a pesticide registered under the PCPA within their
jurisdiction. They may also limit use beyond federal requirements.
Municipal governments have the authority to protect the health and safety of
residents and to regulate nuisances through municipal by-laws. The primary
authority of municipal governments is to regulate pesticides on municipal or
even private land, as determined by provincial or territorial legislation.
However, the extent of this authority varies among provinces and territories,
particularly as it relates to private lands.
Following the Supreme Court of Canada's decision to uphold municipal by-laws
banning cosmetic use of pesticides within municipal boundaries, including
private property, several municipalities are considering full or partial bans
on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes. FCM believes that
municipalities should have the authority to determine the most appropriate pest
management approach for their respective communities.
Strategies:
- Encourage the Government of Canada to work with provinces, territories and
municipalities to establish a nationally consistent approach for integrated
pesticide management, based on the approach set forward by FCM's National
Strategy for Responsible Pest Management.
- Continue to support the Canadian Centre for
Pollution Prevention's Responsible Pest Management
- Web site (www.pestinfo.ca) to ensure municipalities have access to
information on pest management options.
- Ensure FCM is included in the review of the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act and that municipal concerns are reflected
in the assessment of regulations related to pesticides.
- Establish a clear definition of pesticides that
includes other methods of control such as herbicides and fungicides.
Energy
Municipalities must have access to safe, reliable and clean sources of energy
to support the delivery of municipal services. The Government of Canada must
work with all orders of government to develop a national renewable energy
strategy, supported by appropriate economic instruments and other policy tools,
to ensure municipalities and stakeholders have access to cost-effective and
reliable renewable energy sources and technologies.
Municipal governments provide such services as home heating, electricity
generation and public transportation. However, in some regions of Canada,
projected levels of demand will exceed generation capacity within the next 10
to 15 years. To address this issue, Canada's municipalities-and, indeed, Canada
as a nation-must identify new ways of meeting demand and implement programs and
policies that will help to conserve energy and improve efficiency across all
sectors.
Municipalities can influence energy consumption and efficiency in several ways,
including improving the energy efficiency of municipal buildings, deriving
energy from municipal solid waste and biomass, using alternative fuels such as
biodiesel and ethanol for municipal fleets, introducing energy metering
programs, and identifying and developing opportunities related to district
heating and cooling and combined heat and power.
Energy conservation and efficiency programs can also support other objectives,
including those related to economic development, health and broader climate
change and clean air objectives. This relationship is particularly relevant in
Canada's rural, remote and northern communities, where renewable energy
projects can provide opportunities for job creation and economic
diversification.
When considering alternative energy options, FCM strongly encourages the
Government of Canada to fairly consider all economic, social, cultural and
environmental implications.
Strategies:
- Encourage the Government of Canada to develop a national renewable energy
strategy that will include recommendations on the following:
- energy efficiency standards for industrial
equipment and household appliances;
- energy efficiency standards for new and existing
commercial, residential and institutional buildings;
- strengthened vehicle fuel efficiency standards;
- targets for electricity generation that will
expand Canada's energy portfolio beyond fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and
towards renewable energy;
- targets for the percentage of vehicle fuel derived
from renewable sources (such as ethanol);
- support for research and development of renewable
energy technology;
- clearly identified roles and responsibilities for
all orders of government, industry and the general public;
- an investment strategy to support the human,
technical and financial resource requirements of each order of government to
ensure the goals and objectives of the strategy are achieved;
- an approach to ensure the renewable energy
strategy provides economic development opportunities for rural, remote and
northern communities; and a measurement and reporting process to assess
progress against targets.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to expand its
current performance-based incentive programs for renewable energy, including
the Renewable Power Production Incentive program and the Wind Power Production
Incentive program, and ensure that both rural and urban municipalities have
access to these and other incentive measures.
Biodiversity
Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity is necessary for
maintaining the quality of life in Canada's cities and communities. The
Government of Canada must partner with municipalities to ensure Canada's cities
and communities have access to the resources necessary to effectively and
efficiently identify and eradicate invasive and alien species.
The viability of many resource-based, agricultural, Aboriginal and other
communities is directly tied to the conservation and sustainable use of
biological resources, so these communities need effective policies and
strategies for biodiversity. Threats to biodiversity in Canada include the
cumulative impacts of farming, forestry, commercial fishing, expanding urban
areas, transportation corridors, industrial activities and resource
consumption. These factors have degraded ecosystems and habitats and reduced
genetic diversity. Habitats have also been degraded by pollution, the
introduction of alien species and fragmentation.
As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Canada is
committed to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, as
well as the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of
biological and genetic resources. As part of this commitment, Canada has also produced
a Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, which outlines how the federal government, as
well as provinces and territories, will create the necessary policy and
research conditions to help meet the requirements of the CBD. The strategy also
describes how other stakeholders, in accordance with their policies, plans,
priorities and fiscal capabilities, will help implement the strategy.
The federal government is also implementing a national strategy for invasive
and alien species. These species threaten the sustainability of our natural
resources and the quality of life of Canadians. They are the second greatest
threat to Canada's biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. The emergence of
West Nile Virus, chronic wasting disease and emerald ash borer, along with
ballast water management, have all raised public awareness of these issues, and
demonstrate the potential effect of alien and invasive species on Canada's
environmental, economic and social stability.
The federal, provincial and territorial governments share responsibility for
conservation and biodiversity, but municipal planning and land use decisions
can support biodiversity objectives by minimizing ecosystem degradation and
fragmentation. Local traditional knowledge can also help us understand the potential
benefits to be derived from biological and genetic resources.
Strategies:
- Ensure municipalities are consulted and engaged in the CEPA review process,
as well as in other legislative review processes related to conservation and
the sustainable use of biological diversity.
- Ask the federal government to strengthen its
partnership with municipalities in identifying and responding to the presence
of invasive and alien species.
- Ask that municipalities be provided with the
necessary tools and resources to incorporate biodiversity considerations into
land use planning decisions.
- To ensure effective conservation and sustainable
use of biological diversity, ask that the federal, provincial and territorial
governments engage municipalities in decisions related to resource and
ecosystem management, particularly when these decisions will have a direct
impact on community viability and traditional culture.
- Ensure FCM is engaged in the review of CEPA.
Approved: March 2006
Standing Committee on Environmental Issues and
Sustainable Development