We had lengthy discussions on this matter when we reviewed, as a committee, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. We had extensive witness testimony.
My understanding is our committee recommended that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act now incorporate the term “vulnerable population” for the same reason we talked about environmental justice. It specifically includes any group or community especially vulnerable to environmental or health risks as a result of biological, social, economic, geographic, or other factors.
It is an important matter for review panels or the agency, when they are reviewing proposed projects, to also assess whether or not there may be vulnerable populations, rather than their just looking at generalities.