Canadian Environmental Protection Act: administrative agreements

Administrative agreements are working arrangements between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments to streamline efforts in administering regulations. The agreements usually cover inspections, enforcement, monitoring and reporting, and so forth, with each jurisdiction retaining its legal authorities.

• Canada-Saskatchewan administrative agreement for the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

  The Canada-Saskatchewan administrative agreement for CEPA (in force since September 15, 1994) covers the following CEPA regulations:

  • Pulp and paper mill effluent chlorinated dioxins and furans regulations
  • Pulp and paper mill defoamer and wood chip regulations
  • Ozone-depleting substances products regulations
  • Ozone-depleting substances regulations
  • Chlorobiphenyls regulations
  • Federal mobile polychorinated biphenyl (PCB) treatment and destruction regulations, and
  • Storage of PCB material regulations
    
• Administrative agreement between the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada regarding the implementation in Quebec of the federal regulations pertaining to the pulp and paper sector

  Administrative agreements concerning the pulp and paper sector have been in place between the province of Quebec and the Canadian government since 1994. The fourth agreement expired on March 31, 2007. On June 13, 2009, the proposed Canada-Quebec pulp and paper administrative agreement was published in Part I of the Canada Gazette (PDF document, 1,238KB, page 24).

  The agreement recognizes Quebec as the principal interlocutor for receiving, from the pulp and paper sector, most of the data and information required pursuant to the following three federal regulations:

  • pulp and paper mill effluent chlorinated dioxins and furans regulations made pursuant to CEPA
  • pulp and paper mill defoamer and wood chip regulations made pursuant to CEPA; and
  • pulp and paper effluent regulations made pursuant to the Fisheries Act

  Under the agreement, the province acts as a “single window” for the gathering of information from Quebec pulp and paper manufacturers and forwards such information to Environment and Climate Change Canada for the purpose of enabling the latter to implement its act. Both levels of government retain full responsibility for carrying out inspections and investigations and for taking appropriate enforcement measures in order to ensure compliance with their respective requirements on the part of the industry.