CEPA Part IV: controls on government organizations

Under Part IV of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), the Minister of the Environment has the authority to regulate waste handling and disposal practices and emissions and effluents from federal department, Crown corporation and federal agency activities. It also gives the Minister the authority to make regulations and guidelines that apply to federal lands, works and undertakings where there is no express authority under the act of parliament governing that land, work or undertaking, to make regulations to protect the environment.

During fiscal year 1994-95, action on the following initiatives directed at the federal government took place:

• glycol guidelines for de-icing practices at federal airports were created under section 53 of CEPA;
• a code of good practice for the handling, storage, use and disposal of pesticides at federal facilities was published;
• Guidelines for Environmental Auditing: Statement of Principles and General Practices were published as a national standard using the Canadian Standards Association's multi-stakeholder process;
• an environmental issues workshop was held to provide federal employees with environmental information and training opportunities; and
• an interdepartmental steering committee on environmental issues for the federal sector was created to provide coordinated strategic direction on key policy and process issues.

This 1992 initiative commits federal government departments to conform to the requirements of CEPA and other federal environmental legislation, and to make their operations compatible with other levels of government where appropriate. The majority of federal departments are developing environmental action plans.

In support of environmental stewardship, the following initiatives were undertaken:

• non-hazardous solid waste incinerators at federal facilities;
• spill reporting;
• contingency planning at federal activities;
• draft national guidelines on landfill operations on federal lands and at federal facilities;
• wastewater management on federal lands and at federal facilities;
• criteria for green procurement;
• waste management at federal facilities; and
• guide to green construction and renovation.