Resistance to Cuts at Environment Canada

On July 5, nearly 50 civil society organizations sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper decrying the cuts to Environment Canada and outlining serious concerns about the impacts of the cuts.

As reported in rabble.ca, the letter was endorsed by labour, environmental, social justice, women's and First Nations organizations, including the Council of Canadians, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, International Institute of Concern for Public Health, Keepers of the Athabasca Watershed Council, Métis Women's Circle, Mining Watch Canada, National Council of Women of Canada, National Network on Environments and Women's Health, Polaris Institute, Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Sierra Club Canada.
In the letter, statements were made by Maude Barlow (national chairperson of the Council of Canadians), Oliver M. Brandes (co-director of the University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance), David Suzuki (emeritus professor of zoology, University of British Columbia), Bob Sandford (chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of the United Nations Water for Life Decade), Ralph Pentland (acting chairman of the Canadian Water Issues Council) and Randy Christensen (lawyer with Ecojustice).

The largest amount of job cuts was in Climate Change and Clean Air. The number of full time equivalents (FTEs) were reduced by nearly half, a reduction of 422 FTEs for 2011-2012 with another 100 FTEs slated for elimination in 2012-2013. The goal of the program is to ensure that "threats to Canadians, their health and their environment from air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions are minimized." The programming is "critical to protect the health of Canadians and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollutants and the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions." The program activity is responsible for regulating air pollutants and controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

Budget cuts are reducing services and this has dire implications for the issue of water. Conservation, protection and enforcement of Canada's water will suffer due to the Conservative budget. Conservatives are slashing budgets at a time when Canada needs a national water strategy to replace the badly outdated Federal Water Policy which is more than 30 years old.

According to Environment Canada's 2011-2012 Report on Plans and Priorities, 34 Full-time Equivalents (FTEs) will be cut from the program activity of Water Resources this year (2011-2012) and another 20 FTE positions will be eliminated next year (2012-2013). The program addresses the impacts that economic growth, climate change and other factors have on water sources. The program focuses on water sustainability and provides scientific information and advice to decision-makers. This area also supports the implementation of the Canada Water Act, the 1987 Federal Water Policy, Canadian Environmental Protect Act, Fisheries Act and International Boundary Waters Treaty Act.

Substance and waste management is another area of concern. A total of 279 FTEs will be reduced from Substance and Waste Management. The goal of the program is ensure that "threats to Canadians and impacts on the environment posed by harmful substances and waste are reduced." The program activity "assesses environmental threats posed by harmful substances and other substances of concern in terms of their fate and effects, and develops and implements prevention, reduction, elimination and management measures to deal with these substances." This area is linked to water quality and ecosystem/habitat conservation and protection.

A significant number of FTEs were eliminated from Weather and Environmental Services: 146 FTEs were cut from Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians and 56 FTEs were cut from Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users. These significant cuts were not noted in last year's Plans and Priorities.

The mission of the program activity Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians includes ensuring "Canadians, communities and policy-makers understand the potential health and safety risks from the changing climate and air quality conditions." Programming also manages short- and long-term risks including air quality or climate change.

The letter concludes by saying, "Overall these cuts present a significant threat to water protection and healthy ecosystems in Canada. We are calling on the federal government to cancel the cuts and invest in our country's freshwater heritage."

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Conservatives Cut Budgets and Slash Jobs at Environment Canada

In addition to cuts at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the NRC the Conservatives are also taking the axe to Environment Canada. Over $200 million is being cut from Environment Canada's budget which is resulting in the loss of services and jobs. Amongst the people being let go are those involved in climate change research and those responsible for contaminated sites. These cuts will result in the elimination of 1211 jobs (full-time equivalents) over the next three years. The 50 employees cut in June, include people working in the areas of water and atmospheric science.

Environment Canada is a diverse organization which leads the way in implementing the Government of Canada's environmental agenda. Environment Canada, protects the environment, conserves the country's natural heritage, and provides weather and meteorological information to keep Canadians informed and safe.

Environment Canada provides science, regulations and legislation. They also are behind successful partnerships which involve collaboration on initiatives that will protect the health of Canadians and the planet. They support sound environmental decisions and they work to collect and pass on knowledge, and to develop, implement and enforce policies to prevent future issues.

Environment Canada's Reports on Plans and Priorities from 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 reveals some deep cuts amounting to a reduction of $222.2 million from last year's total planned spending.

Some of the biggest cuts were in the program activities of Climate Change and Clean Air, Substance and Waste Management, Weather and Environmental Services, Water Resources and Internal Services. The programs that were cut this year include, the Clean Air Agenda and the Air Quality Health Index. The programs that will be cut next year include Species at Risk.

Biodiversity and the Chemicals Management Plan are amongst the other programs targeted for cuts over the next few years.

The Chemicals Management Program is managed jointly between Environment Canada and Health Canada. It ensures "timely action on key threats to health and the environment" and is responsible for "risk assessment, risk management, monitoring and surveillance, as well as research on chemicals which may be harmful to human health or the environment." The Chemicals Management Plan was intended to proactively reduce future costs associated with water treatment, clean-up of contaminated sites, and treating illnesses like cancer that are related to chemical exposure.

Funding was also reduced for the Action Plan on Clean Water and the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. Last March, former Environment Minister Jim Prentice said the Action Plan on Clean Water was a priority. However, the government is going back on its word to provide clean water, just as it reneged on its commitment to improve environmental assessment.

Cuts to the Action Plan on Clean Water includes facets of the Oceans Action Plan, the Plan of Action for Drinking Water in First Nations Communities, clean-up funding for water bodies, wastewater regulations and water science. These cuts undermine Canada's ability to fulfill their legal obligation on the right to water.

Without consulting the public the federal government has cut programs that will have critical impacts on current as well as future generations.

With cuts to Environment Canada, the NRC, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, it is clear that Harper's Conservatives want to emasculate all the instruments of power that could undermine their bid to disregard the environment and make Canada a dirty oil superpower.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Federal Provincial Energy Conference Sponsored by Big Oil

Earlier this week a coalition of environmental groups revealed that the Canadian Federal Provincial Energy Conference is being sponsored by several energy companies.

Eleven companies and associations are spending an unprecedented $180,000 to pay for nearly a third of the $600,000 price tag. The sponsorship is an attempt by the petroleum industry to influence people who will be making crucial decisions about Canada's energy future. The sponsors have access to key individuals and they are given a high profile on the website for the conference.


Here is a breakdown of the money provided by Corporate sponsors:

$30,000: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

$20,000: The Oil Sands Developers Group, Nexen, TransCanada, Cenovus Energy.

$10,000: Devon, Canadian Electricity Association, Shell, Encana Natural Gas, Enbridge, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, Canadian Petroleum Products Institute.

Referring to the conference, Sierrra Club Executive Director John Bennett said,

"We have the big oil picking up the tab. Is the Alberta government so broke that it has to do this? It smells bad and sends the wrong message to Canadians."

Graham Saul from the Climate Action Network said:

"This money gives them huge access. It looks like the government ministers are in the pockets of the oil industry."

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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