Text Box: Text Box: Friends of the Earth Release First Annual Score Card on Environmental Rights

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Text Box: Text Box: Quebec’s National Assembly passes anti-SLAPP legislation to prevent improper use of the courts and to promote freedom of expression and citizen participation in public debates. Text Box: Take action Text Box: FOE publishes a new resource for municipalities: Developing Water Soft Paths in Canadian Municipalities, Guidebook for Municipal Staff. Municipal workshops planned for Fall 2009 and beyond. Text Box: Be part of the solution! There are several ways you can make a difference: Donate Monthly Giving Charitable Gift Annuities Gifts of Stock & Securities Gifts of Property Text Box: Support FOE Text Box: highlight

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Protecting the Earth for Tomorrow

June 2009-Issue 27

Friends of the Earth CANADA E-Newsletter

Friends of the Earth Canada

260 St. Patrick Street, Suite 300                 Ottawa, ON K1N 5K5

(613) 241-0085       www.foecanada.org

World Environment Day 2009— “Friends of the Earth revealed the results of its first annual Score Card of environmental rights available to the people of Canada.  The Report and Score Card, Standing on Guard: Environmental Rights in Canada, 2009, analyzed the environmental rights “on the books” of each province and territory and of the federal government.  Standing on Guard! Ranking Environmental Rights in Canada 2009  reveals a surprising absence of environmental rights measures that should be the building blocks for democracy according to Jody Lownds, author of the score card and report.  “We

Jody Lownds

want to work with people and groups across Canada to make sure all individuals in Canada in every province and territory can access equal environmental rights,”  says Jody.  Read the Score Card to see the discrepancy in jurisdictions across Canada, the best performers and the worst performers.

Environmentalists Comment from the best to  worst.

Commenting on the breaking news in Quebec on passage of anti-SLAPP legislation, Normand Landry, member of L’Association quebecoise de lute contre la pollution atmospherique (AQLPA)

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS IN ACTION

The right to request an investigation is an important but seldom used environmental right under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.  Earlier this week, FOE helped Mr. Alan Williams, a Newfoundland resident, use this environmental right to voice his long standing concerns over PCB dumping in the municipal dumpsite.  With the new PCB regulation, Mr. Williams hopes his application for investigation will force the federal government to step in and do the right thing— order the province to contain the PCBs and clean up the site.

“For almost a decade, we’ve been trying to get attention on this mess.  Now, with Friends of the Earth’s help, we are exercising our environmental rights to call for a federal investigation.  We have asked FOE to monitor the treatment of our application for investigation to the Minister,” says Mr. Williams.  “This PCB Regulation is an important opportunity for communities and environmental watchdogs to get long overdue action on stored or dumped PCBS” says Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth. “Any Canadian resident can apply for an investigation of an offence under CEPA 1999.  Friends of the Earth hopes to hear from other concerned people about toxic messes that need to be cleaned up in their communities.”

Allan Williams