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Ottawa, Mar. 3 – The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada applauds Ontario’s first step towards adopting a risk-based approach to its environmental approvals process. On Mar. 2, the McGuinty government announced it was seeking public input to a new process – one that would simplify environmental approvals, improve transparency, and focus resources on businesses or facilities with poor environmental performance. The Association believes these reforms will ensure that Ontario remains competitive in the global marketplace, without compromising environmental protection.
The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada has lobbied for similar reforms for years. Under Ontario’s current environmental approvals process, facilities must obtain certificates of approval from the Ministry of the Environment to show that their operations meet provincial regulatory requirements and do not adversely impact the environment. However, delays in securing ministry approval have sometimes reached 18 months – preventing Ontario companies from taking advantage of production opportunities and causing them to lose out to other jurisdictions with more responsive regulatory systems.
The Chemistry Industry Association believes that a streamlined environmental approvals process should ensure that:
- certificates of approval are not required for initiatives that clearly have no environmental impact
- the ministry focuses its review activities on high-risk applications or companies with a track-record of poor environmental performance
The Association hopes these reforms will expedite the environmental approvals process for our member-companies, which already adhere to stringent environmental standards under our flagship Responsible Care® initiative. The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada believes Ontario wins when regulatory processes and its economy are performing at peak efficiency, and it looks forward to providing continued input to the government of Ontario on this issue.
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For more information, please contact:
Michael Bourque
Vice-President, External Relations
613-237-6215 x 225
Sarah Mayes
Manager, Public Affairs
613-237-6215 x 239
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