Atlantic Canada’s ministers of the Environment have committed themselves to regional cooperation on important issues following meetings in Charlottetown Thursday, January 10, 2008.
George Webster, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry, hosted Mark Parent, Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Labour, and Charlene Johnson, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister Environment and Conservation, for a wide-ranging discussion. Roland Haché, New Brunswick Minister of Environment was unable to attend the meetings, but the province was represented in Charlottetown Thursday.
Ministers agreed to look at the potential to harmonize legislation relating to solid wastes including e-waste (discarded computers and electronic equipment), paint and used oil and oil filters. Due to the relatively small size of each province, a joint approach to the management of various waste materials may in some cases provide an opportunity for the most cost-effective and efficient approach. Ministers also agreed to look for opportunities to recycle products within Atlantic Canada, as opposed to shipping recyclable material to processors outside the region.
New Brunswick led discussions on the possibility of developing a harmonized approach to the management and remediation of brownfields (sites where soil has been contaminated with petroleum). At the moment, Prince Edward Island is the only Atlantic Canadian province with regulations regarding petroleum-damaged sites; however, other Atlantic provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador have policies in place that address contaminated sites.
Minister Webster said that while Prince Edward Island hosted the meeting, each province was able to provide leadership in different areas of discussion. “The need for environmental stewardship and sustainability is the same right across Atlantic Canada, but each province has dealt with these issues in its own way and some have more experience with particular issues. These meetings let us share our experiences and the lessons each province has learned,” he said.
Minister Webster said that these types of meetings give Atlantic Canada’s environment ministers a chance to craft a common Atlantic Canadian stance on important issues prior to national meetings of environment ministers.
The ministers also worked towards common ground on the issues of renewable energy, climate change, pesticide use and regulation, environmental enforcement and wastewater management. In particular, they agreed to work collaboratively to raise the profile of two key issues – adaptation to climate change and sea level increases.
Atlantic Canada’s Environment Ministers will be meeting again within the next few months, with New Brunswick expected to host an upcoming workshop on climate change adaptation.