Archived: Departmental Performance Report supplemental tables 2014-15, Environment Canada, chapter 8

Environment Canada received 1,488 requests in 2014-15.

The Department processed 1,452 requests, including some carried over from previous years, and carried 258 requests forward to 2015-16.

The Department was able to complete 72% of requests within 30 days or less. Of all completed requests, 89% were completed within legislated deadlines.

All new substances notification submissions receipts are acknowledged by letter, email or facsimile within 10 days.

All new substances notification submissions are reviewed (assessed) for their potential to adversely affect human health or the environment and decisions are taken, within the regulatory deadline, to minimize such effects.

The totality of the 588 new substances notification submissions received in 2014-15 were acknowledged by letter, email or facsimile within 10 days of their receipt.

The totality of the 588 new substances notification submissions received in 2014-15 were triaged and reviewed within the established period. Of the 588 new substances notification submissions, 10 were assessed as substances of concern. Consequently, the New Substances Program published, in the Canada Gazette, 5 ministerial conditions and 5 significant new activity notices.

The totality of the 230 substances eligible for the Domestic Substances List was published on the Canada Gazette, Part II within 120 days.

Fees are shared with Health Canada in the following proportion:

• two thirds for Environment Canada; and
• one third for Health Canada.

The public has access to facilities, including an interpretation centre and a 20 km hiking trail network. The public also has access to high-quality services, information on the Wildlife Area Regulations, the activities offered, and interpretation services.

The performance standards are intended to ensure that users receive access to services as soon as their admission fee is paid, and that visitors are satisfied with the services provided.

The public has access to high-quality controlled hunt activities, including hunting site preparation, decoys, training sessions supervised by qualified staff, and safe facilities. To access the activities, Canadian residents must pay a non-refundable application fee. If they are chosen by lot, they are issued a non-refundable hunting permit.

These performance standards are intended to ensure that, following the hunting permit application process, the hunters chosen by lot are notified within two months of the draw and that hunters are satisfied with the services provided.

The cost of a migratory game bird hunting (MGBH) permit is $8.50. A Canadian wildlife habitat conservation stamp must be affixed to the permit to make it valid. The fee for the stamp is separate (see user fee on Migratory Bird Program - Wildlife habitat conservation stamp). MGBH permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices, from select provincial and private vendors and directly from Environment Canada through an online ordering system launched in August 2014.

The performance standards are as follows: a) an adequate number of permits are available for distribution for the open hunting season, and b) Canadian citizens or other individuals acquiring a permit can obtain one within a reasonable time.

MGBH permits were available for distribution in time for sale on August 1, 2014, at Canada Post offices, provincial partners and independent vendors.

The permits were available within minutes after transactions were completed. For the first time in 2014-15, permits were ordered online from Environment Canada and delivered directly to the applicant’s address within 3 to 5 days.

The fee for the wildlife habitat conservation stamp is $8.50. For a migratory game bird hunting (MGBH) permit to be valid, the stamp must be affixed to it. Stamps pre-affixed to the MGBH permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices, from select provincial and private vendors and directly from Environment Canada through an online ordering system launched in August 2014. The stamp is also available in philatelic form for collectors.

The performance standard is that the stamps are available in the numbers required for both the MGBH permits and predicted philatelic purposes.

Wildlife habitat conservation stamps were available in the numbers required for the MGBH permits and for predicted philatelic purposes. The permits were available within minutes after transactions were completed.

For the first time in 2014-15, stamps pre-affixed to permits were ordered online from Environment Canada and delivered directly to the applicant’s address within 3 to 5 days.

Environment Canada also ensured sufficient philatelic products were transferred to Wildlife Habitat Canada for sale through Rousseau Collections.

These permits are issued by Environment Canada regional offices for a fee of $10. To be successful, applicants must meet certain requirements; for example, with respect to aviculture, applicants must demonstrate that they will wing-clip, pinion or keep the birds in an enclosure to prevent mixing with wild populations. Each region can attach specific conditions to each permit. Permits generally expire on December 31 of the year issued.

Environment Canada established new service standards and performance indicators for permits issued under the Migratory Birds Regulations for aviculture, eiderdown, and taxidermy in March 2014. The new service standard for a decision on whether the Minister will issue or refuse a permit under the Migratory Birds Regulations will be provided within 14 calendar days after the date of the notice, indicating that the application has been received for Eiderdown permits and 40 calendar days for Aviculture and Taxidermy permits.

Performance targets for taxidermy, aviculture and eiderdown permits set in March 2014 are as follows: 80% of decisions regarding permit applications are made within the service standard in 2014-15, 85% in 2015-16 and 90% in 2016-17 and onward.

Where a permit application made under the Migratory Birds Regulations involves activities that may affect a species protected by the Species at Risk Act (SARA), a 90-day service standard will apply in order to ensure consistency with the Permits Authorizing an Activity Affecting Listed Wildlife Species Regulations under SARA.

Taxidermy: All permits were issued within 40 days.

Aviculture: 99.9% of permits were issued within 40 days.

Eiderdown: All permits were issued within 14 days.

Performance results for all permit types issued under the Migratory Birds Regulations are posted annually on the departmental website, no later than June 1, for the preceding fiscal year.

All permits were delivered within timelines with the exception of three permits that were delivered outside the 120 day window (prior to September). This was due to issues with completeness of the applications (2 cases) and to the specific request of the applicant for a later date (1 case).

For further details, please visit Environment Canada website.

The permit holder has access to a permitted site and the ability to dispose of 1,000 m³ of dredged or excavated material for each $470 paid. Refunds are issued for units that are not disposed of.

The above indicator was reviewed and amended in 2014-15. The new standard will be relevant to anyone submitting payment for the disposal of dredged material or inert, inorganic matter that is authorized by a permit to be disposed at sea. This new standard was posted on the CEPA Registry on June 2, 2015 and will be in effect following a 30 day comment period.

The revised standard will then be posted on the disposal at sea web page. The proposed new standard is as follows:

1. For the Disposal at Sea Permit Fee payments, Environment Canada will issue the permit holder or applicant an acknowledgment of receipt within 10 business days of receipt of that payment.
2. For refunds associated with the Disposal at Sea permit fee, Environment Canada will, within 15 business days of receiving a complete request for a refund, confirm the amount of refund to be expected.

Permittees received access to the disposal sites for dredged and excavated material authorized by their permits in 100% of cases. Representative monitoring was carried out in accordance with monitoring guidelines. Refunds were issued for units that were not disposed of.

For further details, visit Environment Canada website.

All new substances notification submissions receipts are acknowledged by letter, email or facsimile within 10 days.

All new substances notification submissions are reviewed (assessed) for their potential to adversely affect human health or the environment, and decisions are taken within the regulatory deadline to minimize such effects.

All of the 588 new substances notification submissions for 2014-15 were acknowledged by letter, email or facsimile within 10 days of their receipt.

All of the 588 new substances notification submissions were triaged and reviewed within the established period. Of the 588 new substances notification submissions, 10 were assessed as substances of concern. Consequently, the New Substances Program published, in the Canada Gazette, 5 ministerial conditions and 5 significant new activity notices.

All of the 230 substances eligible for the Domestic Substances List were published on the Canada Gazette, Part II within 120 days.

The public has access to facilities, including an interpretation centre and a 20 km hiking trail network. The public also has access to high-quality services, information on the Wildlife Area Regulations, the activities offered, and interpretation services.

The performance standards are intended to ensure that users receive access to services as soon as their admission fee is paid, and that visitors are satisfied with the services provided.

The public has access to high-quality controlled hunt activities, including hunting site preparation, decoys, training sessions supervised by qualified staff, and safe facilities. To access the activities, Canadian residents must pay a non-refundable application fee. If they are chosen by lot, they are issued a non-refundable hunting permit.

These performance standards are intended to ensure that, following the hunting permit application process, the hunters chosen by lot are notified within two months of the draw and that hunters are satisfied with the services provided.

The cost of a migratory game bird hunting (MGBH) permit is $8.50. A Canadian wildlife habitat conservation stamp must be affixed to the permit to make it valid. The fee for the stamp is separate (see user fee on Migratory Bird Program - Wildlife habitat conservation stamp). MGBH permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices, from select provincial and private vendors and directly from Environment Canada through an online ordering system launched in August 2014.

The performance standards are as follows: a) an adequate number of permits are available for distribution for the open hunting season, and b) Canadian citizens or other individuals acquiring a permit can obtain one within a reasonable time.

The fee for the wildlife habitat conservation stamp is $8.50. For a migratory game bird hunting (MGBH) permit to be valid, the stamp must be affixed to it. Stamps pre-affixed to the MGBH permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices, from select provincial and private vendors and directly from Environment Canada through an online ordering system launched in August 2014. The stamp is also available in philatelic form for collectors.

The performance standard is that the stamps are available in the numbers required for both the MGBH permits and predicted philatelic purposes.

Wildlife habitat conservation stamps were available in the numbers required for the migratory game bird hunting permits and for predicted philatelic purposes. The permits were available within minutes after transactions were completed. For the first time in 2014-15, permits (with stamps affixed) were ordered online from Environment Canada and delivered directly to the applicant’s address within 3 to 5 days.

Environment Canada also ensured sufficient philatelic products were transferred to Wildlife Habitat Canada for sale through Rousseau Collections.

These permits are issued by Environment Canada regional offices for a fee of $10. To be successful, applicants must meet certain requirements; for example, with respect to aviculture, applicants must demonstrate that they will wing-clip, pinion or keep the birds in an enclosure to prevent mixing with wild populations. Each region can attach specific conditions to each permit. Permits generally expire on December 31 of the year issued.

Environment Canada established new service standards and performance indicators for permits issued under the Migratory Birds Regulations for aviculture, eiderdown, and taxidermy in March 2014. The new service standard for a decision on whether the Minister will issue or refuse a permit under the Migratory Birds Regulations will be provided within 14 calendar days after the date of the notice, indicating that the application has been received for Eiderdown permits and 40 calendar days for Aviculture and Taxidermy permits.

Performance targets for taxidermy, aviculture and eiderdown permits set in March 2014 are as follows: 80% of decisions regarding permit applications are made within the service standard in 2014-15, in 85% in 2015-16 and 90% in 2016-17 and onward.

Where a permit application made under the Migratory Birds Regulations involves activities that may affect a species protected by the Species at Risk Act (SARA), a 90-day service standard will apply in order to ensure consistency with the Permits Authorizing an Activity Affecting Listed Wildlife Species Regulations under SARA.

Taxidermy: All permits were issued within 40 days.

Aviculture: 99.9% of permits were issued within 40 days.

Eiderdown: All permits were issued within 14 days.

Performance results for all permit types issued under the Migratory Birds Regulations are posted annually on the departmental website no later than June 1, for the preceding fiscal year.

All permits were delivered within timelines with the exception of three permits that were delivered outside the 120 day window (prior to September). This was due to issues with completeness of the applications (2 cases) and to the specific request of the applicant for a later date (1 case).

For further details, visit Environment Canada website.

Application fees set in 1993 were rolled into CEPA 1999 in 2001. Regulatory impact assessment statements and multi-stakeholder consultations were conducted before each regulation was enacted. The last review was conducted in 2003 and its report concluded that no change to fees was required. All consultations between 1993 and 2003 involved discussion papers, public meetings and final reports. Disposal at Sea Regulations were amended in 2014 to set service standards. Consultations included regulatory impact assessment statements, pre-publication in Canada Gazette I and emailed notice to stakeholders.

For further details, visit Environment Canada website.

The permit holder has access to a permitted site and the ability to dispose of 1,000 m³ of dredged or excavated material for each $470 paid. Refunds are issued for units that are not disposed of.

The above indicator was reviewed and amended in 2014-15. The new standard will be relevant to anyone submitting payment for the disposal of dredged material or inert, inorganic matter that is authorized by a permit to be disposed at sea. The proposed new standard is as follows:

1. For the Disposal at Sea Permit Fee payments, Environment Canada will issue the permit holder or applicant an acknowledgment of receipt within 10 business days of receipt of that payment.

2. For refunds associated with the Disposal at Sea permit fee, Environment Canada will, within 15 business days of receiving a complete request for a refund, confirm the amount of refund to be expected.

Permittees received access to the disposal sites for dredged and excavated material authorized by their permits in 100% of cases. Representative monitoring was carried out in accordance with monitoring guidelines. Refunds were issued for units that were not disposed of.

For further details, visit Environment Canada website.

Multi-stakeholder consultations were carried out from 1996 to 1998 for setting the permit fee. There was general acceptance for the fee, but there was some concern for how it would be set. Permit holders indicated that they preferred a proportional volume-based fee. As well, Environment Canada committed to regular meetings with permit holders, reporting, and to reviewing the fee three years after implementation. The review was conducted in 2003 and its report concluded that no change to the fee was required. Further consultations were undertaken between 1993 and 2003 involving discussion papers, public meetings and final reports.

The new standard was posted on the CEPA Registry June 2, 2015 and will be in effect following a 30 day public comment period. The revised standard will then be posted on the disposal at sea web page.

For further details see Environment Canada website.