Mr. Speaker, on September 15, 1994 the Government of Canada entered into two administrative agreements with the province of Saskatchewan. These agreements provide for the more effective administration of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the pollution provisions of the Fisheries Act and the complementary Saskatchewan legislation.
The agreements are among the first of their kind in Canada. They apply to the areas of environmental protection and are jointly regulated by federal and provincial groups. The agreements will lead to more effective environmental protection programs by reducing duplication. The agreements ensure co-operation and reduce duplication in areas of reporting spills, spill response, inspections, investigation and information gathering.
The agreements reflect the federal government's goal to effectively protect the environment through federal-provincial harmonization and to ensure wise use of our limited resources.