(Chapter 4-Environmental Petitions-Fall 2010 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Ottawa, 7 December 2010-Canadians continue to use the environmental petitions process to seek answers from federal ministers on their environmental concerns, says the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, in his Report tabled today in the House of Commons.
"The petitions process was created in 1995 to provide Canadians with a simple yet formal way to raise concerns and get answers from federal ministers on questions about environmental issues," said Mr. Vaughan.
Eighteen petitions were received this year, with a fairly even split between those focused on local or specific issues and those raising broader or national issues. Twelve were submitted by individuals and nine by past petitioners. The most frequently raised issue continues to be the health impacts of environmental issues, followed by issues related to toxic substances, fisheries, and water.
Federal ministers are required to respond directly to petitioners within 120 days. Federal departments and agencies met this deadline for over 90 percent of their responses, a significant improvement over recent years. Environment Canada and Health Canada-the two departments that responded to the most petitions-both provided 100 percent of their responses on time. This year, as in past years, the majority of Ministerial responses were complete and relevant.
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development manages the petitions process and monitors responses of federal ministers on behalf of the Auditor General of Canada. Under the Auditor General Act, the Commissioner is required to report annually on the number, nature, and status of petitions received and on the timeliness of departmental responses. Petitions and responses, along with details about how to submit a petition, are posted on the OAG website.
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The chapter "Environmental Petitions" is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.
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