Environment Committee on Oct. 8th, 2014

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

In oil sands monitoring, did you look at what's going on in remediation of land that has been mined for open-pit mines?

[Julie Gelfand]

In terms of the monitoring?

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Yes.

[Julie Gelfand]

We looked at the monitoring projects under air, water, and biodiversity. These are very specific sites. I got to see some. I watched them dig up soil samples along one of the rivers, I watched a canoe go by with some young scientists who were going into the bush to set up the cameras to look at the wildlife. These monitoring projects are happening. Environment Canada is responsible for 38 of them, and we looked at nine of them in detail. Overall, they're on time and on budget.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Does monitoring occur on sites that they have remediated after the mining? Of course, they've got to revegetate the site. Is there monitoring going on at those revegetated sites?

[Julie Gelfand]

I can get back to you on that. I don't have that information. I don't know if the revegetated sites are one of the monitoring sites, but there are quite a lot...there are maps of all the various sites for the water monitoring, the air monitoring, and the biodiversity monitoring.They're very detailed, and they're probably available in the report.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Is the ongoing biodiversity monitoring adequate in your mind? I'm just focusing on biodiversity now.

[Julie Gelfand]

We didn't look at the scientific part of that. We looked at whether there were work plans. Environment Canada was responsible for all the biodiversity monitoring. As I said, Environment Canada was responsible for 38 projects. We looked at nine of the biggest ones. We did not assess the scientific accuracy. As part of the joint oil sands monitoring plan, one of the steps is to have the whole plan peer-reviewed. The science behind it will all be looked at by scientists. We looked at the management. Are they on time, are they on budget? Overall, the answer for the nine that we looked at was yes.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Because in point number 8, you say:

The monitoring information resulting from the projects that are looking at air, water and biodiversity needs to be better integrated to understand the long term environmental effects of oils sands development...

That sounds like an evaluation of the program.

[Julie Gelfand]

Part of the program was that the information coming from all these different monitoring sites and these three component areas was an integration strategy and was supposed to be developed. We see the very beginning of an integration strategy. We make a recommendation that this integration strategy be fully fleshed out. That's one of the components of the job.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

That's fine.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you very much.

I want to thank you, Ms. Gelfand, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Sloan, Ms. Leach, and Mr. McKenzie, for being with us today.

We're going to have a three-minute recess and then we'll reconvene with departmental officials.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I'd like to reconvene as quickly as possible, please. We want to give our witnesses as much time as possible.

We welcome now from the department: Chris Forbes, assistant deputy minister; Karen Dodds, assistant deputy minister; Dan McDougall, assistant deputy director; and Mike Beale, assistant deputy minister. From the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency we welcome Ron Hallman, president, and Helen Cutts, vice-president.

Welcome. Thank you for being here today.

I understand that Mr. Hallman has an opening statement. Or is it Mr. Forbes?

[Chris Forbes, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch and Regional Directors General Offices, Department of the Environment]

I think we both do. We'll stick to 10 minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Ten each or together?

[Chris Forbes]

That's combined.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Proceed, Mr. Forbes.

[Chris Forbes]

First of all, thanks for having us here today.

I'm here today on behalf of our deputy minister, Michael Martin, who could not join us. As you mentioned, Chair, I'm joined by colleagues, ADMs from across the department.

The focus of my remarks will be on the first three chapters of the commissioner's report, which address mitigating climate change, environmental monitoring, and marine navigation in the Canadian Arctic.

I would first like to thank the new commissioner for her report and acknowledge the co-operation and engagement of those professionals who conducted the audits. The department greatly appreciates their work.

I would also like to point out that Environment Canada has agreed with all the Commissioner's recommendations.

In a review of the government's work on climate change mitigation, the commissioner found that Environment Canada is providing Canadians with robust and methodologically sound information on future greenhouse gas emissions and that our reports and forecasts present information in an objective manner and in accordance with international reporting guidelines.

Environment Canada agrees with the commissioner's recommendations to strengthen its planning process. Climate change is a shared responsibility in Canada. We take our leadership role seriously and will continue working with other departments, other levels of government, stakeholders, and consumers to address this challenge.

As an example, this September, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment agreed to discuss climate change issues on an ongoing basis.

The government's contribution is implementing its sector-by-sector approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To date, action has been taken on two of Canada's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: the transportation and electricity sectors.

In 2012, the department introduced regulations that made Canada the first major coal user to ban construction of traditional coal-fired electricity generation units. These regulations are expected to result in a cumulative reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that amounts to removing 2.6 million vehicles from the road each year over a 21-year period.

In the transportation sector, as a result of the department's regulatory initiatives, it is projected that 2025 model year light-duty vehicles will produce about 50% less greenhouse gas emissions than 2008 vehicles. Moreover, last month, the environment minister announced a series of new initiatives that will increase fuel efficiency for cars and trucks, reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and lower sulphur content in gasoline. The minister also announced the government's intent to take regulatory action to reduce and prevent emissions of hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs.

I should point out that several of the department's key policies, such as the regulations for coal-fired power plants and vehicles will also produce significant reductions beyond the 2020 timeframe.

We are making some progress. In 2012 Canada's greenhouse gas emissions were 5.1% lower than they were in 2005, while the economy grew by 10.6% over that same period. Today, Canada's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest level since tracking began in 1990. As we continue to move ahead, Environment Canada remains committed to working in concert with the provinces and territories to further these results.

The commissioner also recognizes that the government's fast-start financing initiative is being delivered effectively. The Government of Canada has fully met its financing commitment, having provided $1.2 billion to support a range of climate change projects in more than 60 developing countries, including $680 million to multilateral banks to mobilize private sector investment. As recommended by the commissioner, Environment Canada will continue working with its partners to apply lessons learned from this experience. The department is committed to transparency. It will continue producing forecasts and reports regularly as well as providing Canadians with solid information about greenhouse gas emissions.

Turning to the report's review of environmental monitoring of the oil sands, the commissioner found Environment Canada successful in implementing its oil sands monitoring projects on time and on budget. As the committee members are aware, responsible resource development is a priority and a responsibility of both the federal and provincial governments.

Environment Canada has made significant progress since the launch of the joint implementation plan for oil sands monitoring with Alberta. We are already working with Alberta to define roles past 2015. Likewise, the department is also continuing to look for opportunities to enhance this program. This includes engagement with stakeholders, including first nations and Métis communities in monitoring of the oil sands, which Environment Canada and Alberta have been doing since the start of the joint plan.

Most recently, we have been collaborating on the development of a revised consultation process that seeks to address issues raised by aboriginal people with a view to achieving increased influence of traditional ecological knowledge in monitoring and more opportunities for the identification and effective inclusion of such knowledge.

Finally, I'd like to turn your attention to the commissioner's review of marine navigation in the Canadian Arctic. There was an aspect of this audit that touched on Environment Canada's responsibilities. The commissioner has recognized our support to date for safe marine navigation in the Arctic, pointing to the department's improved weather and ice formation information.

With regard to our observations on the long-term needs for supporting marine navigation in the Arctic, departments are actively working together, in consultation with key stakeholders in Canada's north, to develop a long-term strategy for safe Arctic marine transportation.

Environment Canada will continue to monitor and assess any impacts arising from changes to ice surfaces in the Arctic, as recommended by the commissioner. In keeping with the commissioner's recommendations, Canada is also taking action to ensure enhanced marine safety in the north through its work as the chair of the Arctic Council. It's focusing on safe Arctic shipping and collating a program to enhance safety of cruise ships in the Arctic. As the government moves forward, it intends to continue working with key partners in Canada's north to promote and enhance safe Arctic marine transportation.

That ends my opening remarks. We'll be happy to take questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you, Mr. Forbes.

We'll move to Mr. Hallman for his statement, and then we'll go to the questions later.

Mr. Hallman.

[Ron Hallman, President, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Department of the Environment]

Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to be here today in support of the committee's consideration of the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development's fall 2014 report on the implementation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.

First, let me thank the commissioner and the auditors for the work that was done in carrying out the audit.

As an organization whose ongoing success depends upon a firm commitment to continuous improvement, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has accepted the commissioner's feedback and recommendations specifically as detailed in chapter 4 of the report.

The commissioner recognized that CEAA 2012 was still in its very early stages of implementation during the conduct of the audit. In fact, the audit began just shy of 18 months after the coming into force of the act. As such, the auditors focused on key aspects of the act that they felt were relevant for that period in the implementation process, notably our environmental assessment processes and aboriginal engagement and consultation.

I'm very pleased to note the chapter's overall finding that the agency has indeed put in place the systems, practices, and procedures to support effective environmental assessment. I appreciate the report's highlighting of specific achievements, including the implementation of systems and practices to meet new legislated timelines, to assist with public participation, and to reduce duplication of environmental assessment processes.

With the second anniversary of the coming into force of the act having just recently passed, I can tell you that I'm very proud of the remarkable work of so many agency employees in leading and coordinating the activities that have resulted in these achievements to date.

I look forward to many more achievements as the ongoing implementation of the act continues.

I take very seriously, Mr. Chair, the feedback and recommendations of the commissioner, which make particularly clear the need to enhance the clarity and public availability of information about key environmental assessment processes being applied under CEAA 2012, as well as the ongoing need to continually seek opportunities to strengthen aboriginal engagement and consultation. In the agency's response to the report, we have committed to doing exactly this as we work to continuously improve upon the manner in which we implement the legislation on behalf of Canadians.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This concludes my opening remarks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you to both of you. I hope that I can ask my committee members to be as wise with their use of time as our first two guests were.

We're going to move now to the opening round of questions. We'll begin with Mr. Carrie, for seven minutes, please.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Coming from Oshawa, I'm always interested in the auto sector. I've seen the challenges with automotive manufacturing here in Canada, and the challenges to make sure that Canada remains competitive on a North American basis.

Our government has already taken action in two of Canada's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the transportation and the electricity sectors. I was wondering if you could explain to the committee the newest transportation regulations that were announced two weeks ago by the minister when she was in New York.

[Mike Beale, Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment]

The minister recently announced the second phase of our light-duty vehicle regulations. The first phase, which is already in place, addresses vehicles up to the 2016-model year. We had previously published draft regulations for the next phase, which would go from 2017 and onwards. The final regulations for that second phase are what the Minister announced in New York. Those were published today in the Gazette. Those regulations are aligned with those of the United States, which for us is really important given the integration of the industry across the board. What they really do is drive the emissions from vehicles such that in 2025, we expect a passenger vehicle to emit half as many greenhouse gases as a 2008 vehicle. A 2008 vehicle represents a significant improvement over the last number of years.

It's really a dramatic improvement that puts Canada and the U.S. among the world leaders in vehicle emissions.

The other point I should make is that we do that by also reducing the amount of fuel these vehicles need to burn, which means less fuel that the consumer needs to buy. As a result, we expect significant savings to vehicle users such that the incremental cost of one of these vehicle purchases due to the regulations will, we expect, be recovered by the consumer in one to three years.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

We're good.

I was wondering too, do you have a number? I've heard that it's the equivalent of taking 2.6 million vehicles off the road. Is that accurate?

[Mike Beale]

Yes, that is accurate.