1.

Calls For Delegates

1. There are no Calls for Delegates this week. 

2.

ACTION ALERTS

1. Send Recommendations on CEPA to the House of Commons and Senate Environment Committees  

3.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. ENGO-Only Conference Call on the Review of the Fisheries Act
2. Fisheries Act Tabled in the House of Commons
3. CEC Requests Response from Canada to Species at Risk Submission   

4.

RESOURCES

1. Health Canada Consultation Reports
2. New Data on Main Polluters Now Available on Pollution Watch Website 

5.

CALLS FOR INPUT / COMMENTS / NOMINATIONS / PARTICIPATION

1. Call for Comments: Proposed Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations
2. Call for Comments: Survey on ENGO Involvement on Metal and Mining Environmental Effects Monitoring  

6.

Events

1. Sixteenth International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection and Ninth International Symposium on Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production

7.

Employment

1. Accounting Clerk, Canadian Environmental Network
2. Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator, Falls Brook Centre   

1.

Calls For Delegates

i.

There are no Calls for Delegates this week.

2.

Action Alerts

i.

Send Recommendations on CEPA to the House of Commons and Senate Environment Committees

The House of Commons Environment Committee is wrapping up its Review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999). Submissions with comments on CEPA should be sent no later than mid-January, 2007 before the Committee tables its report. Please send your submissions to the House of Commons Committee Clerk, Eugene Morawski at ENVI@parl.gc.ca. Please send your Senate submissions by the end of February as the Committee must present its report no later than March 31, 2007.
Senate submissions should be sent to the Committee Clerk, Keli Hogan at eenr-eern@sen.parl.gc.ca. Please copy your submissions and letters to Kiriaki Cocolakis, CEPA Coordinator for the Canadian Environmental Network. To view ENGO Parliamentary Committee submissions, visit the RCEN website. For more information contact Kiriaki Cocolakis, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 236.

3.

Announcements

i

ENGO-Only Conference Call on the Review of the Fisheries Act

The RCEN will hold a 60-minute conference call on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time for ENGOs to discuss the Review of the Fisheries Act. To obtain dial-in details and to join the Fisheries Act Review Listserve, please contact Olivier Bertin-Mahieux by email at olivier@cen-rce.org. General information on the Review of the Fisheries Act is available on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans website.

ii

Fisheries Act Tabled in the House of Commons

A proposed overhaul of the 138-year-old Fisheries Act was tabled in the House of Commons by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on December 13, 2006. According to the DFO, “the new Act would modernize the way fisheries are managed, and enshrine conservation measures that protect the aquatic ecosystems to ensure long-term sustainable fisheries for Canadian commercial, Aboriginal and recreational fishers. Highlights of the bill include: expanded roles for fishery participants in decision making; the adoption of clear principles dedicated to sustainable development; and a new sanctions system to be called the Canada Fisheries Tribunal that is aimed at promoting more responsible fishing behaviour.”
For more information, visit the Department of Fisheries and Oceans website.

iii.

CEC Requests Response from Canada to Species at Risk Submission

The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has issued a determination requesting a response from Canada to submission SEM-06-005 (Species at Risk), filed with the Secretariat. The Submitters allege that Canada is failing to effectively enforce the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as regards listing species for protection under the Act (s. 27); meeting deadlines for issuing recovery strategies (s. 42) and ensuring that those strategies identify the species’ critical habitats (s. 41); and extending the application of the Act to those provinces whose laws do not effectively protect a species or the residences of its individuals (s. 34), as well as to species that face an imminent threat to their survival or recovery (s. 80).
Canada has up to 60 days to provide its response. Thereafter, the Secretariat will review the submission in light of Canada’s response to determine whether it warrants developing a factual record. For more information, visit the Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters webpage.

4.

Resources

i.

Health Canada Consultation Reports

Since the summer of 2006, Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch
(HPFB) has launched a series of consultations aimed at improving the regulatory system for health products and food. The input received gave a greater understanding of the type of regulatory system that will best serve Canadians, and what the next steps for Health Canada as a regulator should be. Thematic consultations on Blueprint-related issues were also held, and stakeholders provided input on a draft Policy on Public Input into the Review of Health Products. A consultation on the Review of the Regulatory Framework for Clinical Trials was also held this summer, providing a number of valuable suggestions for the improvement of our clinical trials framework design.
The reports on the completed consultations are now available on the Health Canada website.

ii.

New Data on Main Polluters Now Available on Pollution Watch Website

The PollutionWatch web site, run by Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association, has been updated with the latest pollution data from the federal government. ENGOs and individuals who wish to know which facilities are polluting the air in their neighbourhoods, or which province ranks the highest for total water pollution from reporting facilities, are invited to visit the newly-updated PollutionWatch web site. And to send a free fax to the federal Minister of the Environment calling for action to reduce pollution across Canada.

5.

Calls for Input / Comments / Nominations / Participation

i.

Call for Comments: Proposed Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations

The Government of Canada published proposed Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on December 16, 2006 for a formal 60-day public comment period. The risk management strategy and comments received provided the framework for the development of the proposed Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations. The proposedRegulationswill prohibit the manufacture of all polybrominated diphenyl ethers) PBDEs and will also restrict the use, sale, offer for sale and import of tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE and mixtures, polymers and resins containing these substances. The proposed Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations can be viewed on Environment Canada's website. Send written comments on the proposed Regulations, by February 14, 2007, to Director, Chemicals Sector Division, Environment Canada, 351 St. Joseph Blvd., 12th Floor, Gatineau QC K1A 0H3, e-mail:  TCS-SCT@ec.gc.ca.

ii.

Call for Comments: Survey on ENGO Involvement on Metal and Mining Environmental Effects Monitoring

The Environmental Effects Monitoring Review Group is tasked with taking a preliminary look at what is working and what is not in relation to the first set of data points received from the mines. ENGOs are invited to complete a survey to help get a preliminary understanding of how and who is involved currently with EEM and in what capacity. A draft report will be available in the new year, and a workshop recommendation will be put forward depending on the survey response and other input received. For an electronic copy of the survey, or to read the full MMER EEM Summary, visit the Mining Caucus webpage. For further information on the review process to date, contact Judy Parkman at: jparkman@shaw.ca. The deadline to send input is January 14, 2006.

6.

Events

i.

Sixteenth International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection and Ninth International Symposium on Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production

The Sixteenth International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection (MPES 2007) and the Ninth International Symposium on Environmental Issues and
Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production (SWEMP 2007) will take place on December 11-13, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The MPES will focus on Coal Mining and Clean Coal Processing Technologies such as processing equipment and quality control, and design and planning of surface and underground mines. The SWEMP will focus on Environmental Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Projects, Emission Control in Thermal Power Plants, Greenhouse Gas Abatement Technologies and Sustainable Development for Mineral and Energy Industries-national perspectives. The deadline to send abstracts is April 15, 2007 (1 page limit). For more information, visit the conference website or contact Dr. Raj Singhal, tel.: (403) 239-3849.

7.

Employment

i.

Accounting Clerk, Canadian Environmental Network

The RCEN is currently seeking an Accounting Clerk. Part of a team, the Accounting Clerk, reporting to the Executive Director, is responsible to, among other tasks : Assist the Executive Director on all financial matters; Provide regular reports on the finances of RCEN, including monthly reports on disbursements with comparisons between actual and budgeted expenditures; Prepare budget with Executive Director; Prepare and distribute regular payroll, expense cheque claims, T4 and payroll remittance, and; Ensure that all books and records are in order and prepare working paper as requested. This position is full time, permanent and unionized, including excellent health benefits, 20 days of paid vacation/year, and 5% of annual salary in RRSPs, following a six-month probation period. The starting salary is $33,500.00. The deadline to apply is January 12, 2006. For more information, visit the RCEN website.

ii.

Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator, Falls Brook Centre

Falls Brook Centre is currently seeking to fill an Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator position. The contract is scheduled to start March 2007 or sooner. Applications will be accepted on an on-going basis and should be forwarded to Jean Arnold, FBC Executive Director. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. The Deadline for applications is: January 15th, 2007. For more information about the job description and terms of employment, please read the detailed job posting on the Falls Brook Centre website.