2017 to 2018 Fees Report: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Environment and Climate Change Canada received 1,999 requests in 2017–18.  The Department processed 2,022 requests, including some carried over from previous years, and carried 449 requests forward to 2018–19.

The Department was able to complete 67% of requests within 30 days or less. 86% of requests were completed within the legislated deadlines.

• Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
• New Substances Fees Regulations

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.

88 of the 120 substances that have met their listing criteria were published on the Domestic Substances List within 120 days.

All of the 424 new substances notification submissions received in 2017–18 were acknowledged by letter, email or facsimile within 10 days of their receipt.

389 of the 424 new substances notification submissions received in 2017–18 were triaged within the established period. Out of the 424 new substances notification submissions, 79 were assessed as substances of concern. The New Substances program published, in the Canada Gazette, 9 ministerial conditions and 9 significant new activity notices.

88 of the 120 substances eligible for the Domestic Substances List were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, within 120 days.

Fees are shared with Health Canada as follows:

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

• Canada Wildlife Act, section 12
• Wildlife Area Regulations

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 service standards for entry into the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area are that fees are processed and entry is granted into the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area within 30 minutes of arrival at the main entrance.

• Canada Wildlife Act, section 12
• Wildlife Area Regulations

The public has access to high-quality controlled hunting 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.

In the case of the permits for the controlled fall hunt for greater snow goose issued through a lottery system, the following service standards apply:

• hunters will be informed of whether or not they have been selected to take place in the controlled fall hunt for Greater Snow Goose by May 31st at the latest;
• if selected to take part in the hunt, hunters will receive their permit by mail by no later than July 31st.

• Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, section 12
• Migratory Birds Regulations

The cost of a migratory game bird hunting 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). Migratory game bird hunting permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices, from select provincial and private vendors and directly from Environment and Climate Change 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.

• Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, section 12
• Migratory Birds Regulations C.R.C., c. 1035

The fee for the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation stamp is $8.50. For a Migratory Game Bird Hunting permit to be valid, the stamp must be affixed to it. Stamps pre-affixed to the Migratory Game Bird Hunting permits are available for sale as of August 1 at Canada Post offices and from select provincial and private vendors. The online Migratory Game Bird Hunting e-Permitting system, which is available on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website, was launched in August 2014, and allowed hunters to receive their permit by mail, and as of August 2015, to receive a PDF of the permit by email with a printed image of a stamp. The stamp is also available in philatelic form for collectors.

The performance standards are as follows: a) Permits are available at select Canada Post outlets and select independent vendors, during normal business hours, and  b)The printable permits and the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation stamp can be purchased online through the Migratory Game Bird Hunting e-Permitting system, which is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week during hunting season.

Canadian 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 for purchase through independent vendors and Canada Post outlets within minutes after transactions were completed.

As of August 4, 2015, hunters who chose to purchase their permit online received it by email, with the option of receiving a physical stamp by mail. The physical stamp was delivered directly to the applicant’s address within 21 days. Environment and Climate Change Canada also ensured sufficient philatelic products were transferred to Wildlife Habitat Canada for sale through Rousseau Collections.

• Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, section 12
• Migratory Birds Regulations

The permits are issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada regional offices for a fee of $10. To be successful, applicants must meet certain requirements. Each region can attach specific conditions to each permit. Permits generally expire on December 31 of the year issued.

Environment and Climate Change Canada established service standards and performance indicators for permits issued under the Migratory Birds Regulations for aviculture, eiderdown, and taxidermy in March 2014. The current service standard for a decision to issue or refuse a permit is set at 14 calendar days for eiderdown and 35 calendar days for aviculture and taxidermy after receipt of completed application. Performance targets for taxidermy and aviculture permits are 90% and eiderdown permits are at 100% from 2017–18 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, a 90-day service standard will apply in order to ensure consistency with the Permits Authorizing an Activity Affecting Listed Wildlife Species Regulations under Species at Risk Act.

Taxidermy: All permits were issued within 35 days.

Aviculture: 98% of permits were issued within 35 days.

Eiderdown: 100% of permits were issued in 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.

• Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, ss. 135(1)
• Disposal at Sea Regulations

• Financial Administration Act (FAA), par. 19.1(a)
• Disposal at Sea Permit Fee Regulations

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 service standards, effective as of July 2, 2015 are as follows:

1. For the Disposal at Sea Permit Fee payments, Environment and Climate Change 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 and Climate Change Canada will, within 15 business days of receiving a complete request for a refund, confirm the amount of refund to be expected.

For the period from April 1, 2017 to March 30, 2018 Service Standard #1 was met in 57% of cases. Note that payments transferred between Federal departments are acknowledged automatically by the financial system and are included in these statistics. The Standard #1 is met less frequently as the acknowledgment of payment is often sent with the acknowledgement of complete application, rather than as a separate notice and as the application may have delays getting complete information, the notice is delayed rather than send multiple notices.

For the same period, Service Standard #2 was met in 90% of cases.

For further details on Disposal at sea legislation and regulations, visit the Environment and Climate Change Canada website.