Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, Minister Responsible for the Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC), today announced in the Legislative Assembly the tabling of legislation governing the independent review of rate adjustments by the Corporation.
“This legislation is a step forward in providing enhanced accountability and transparency for Islanders when it comes to waste management services on Prince Edward Island,” said Shea in tabling the legislation.
An Act to Amend the Environmental Protection Act and the Island Regulatory Appeals Commission Act sets out the legislative framework for the review of rate adjustments for the Waste Watch Program by an independent body, in this case the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC).
The new legislation has the objective of providing Islanders with the opportunity to have input and greater scrutiny of the rate structure for the Waste Watch Program. This brings waste services in line with similar utility services to the public such as water and sewerage services.
“Not only will this legislation give Islanders a greater voice into the process of determining rates for waste services, it should allow the public to gain a greater understanding of the costs associated with the collection, transportation, separation, treatment and disposal of waste on Prince Edward Island,” said Gerry Moore, CEO of the Island Waste Management Corporation.
“As a community, Islanders have made great strides forward in helping to deal with waste in a responsible manner,” said Shea. “This legislation will help strengthen that progress.”
Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC) is the provincial Crown Agency that manages and administers solid waste management services province wide. Among these services are delivering the Waste Watch program, Canada’s only province-wide, source-separation waste management system. Since the Waste Watch program went province wide in 2002, nearly 600 million pounds of organic waste has been diverted from Island landfills, offering significant protection to the Island’s groundwater supply and positioning Prince Edward Island as a national leader in responsible environmental stewardship practices.