A PDF version of this newsletter is found on the Canadian Environmental Law Archive website; click here to open it in a new tab.
Casework
CELA represented two members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation on the appeal by INEOS Styrolution Canada Ltd before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
The company had appealed the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks decision last year to suspend its environmental compliance approval (ECA) following elevated levels of benzene and reports of members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community feeling unwell. The Ministry also amended the ECA requiring the company to take certain steps regarding the storage and discharge of benzene at the facility. The company was also required to provide a comprehensive benzene monitoring and community notification plan.
In November, the company announced that it would be decommissioning its facility. The company also withdrew its appeal before the OLT. While this case had a positive outcome, there are still significant air pollutants in the community.
Law Reform
Reintroduce First Nations Clean Water Act. CELA urges the federal government to reintroduce Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act. While progress has been made over many years, there are still too many First Nations whose treated drinking water is not adequately or consistently safe and whose systems are the subject of ongoing and even long-term boil water advisories. This situation is untenable, unacceptable, inequitable, and a breach of the human right to safe drinking water that is held by the members of those communities.
More Changes Coming for CAs: Ontario’s watershed-based Conservation Authorities (CAs) are essential to protecting drinking water, reducing flood risk, conserving natural areas, and monitoring watershed health. Over the past decade, a number of provincial changes have narrowed CA powers, redefined what programs CAs are allowed to deliver, and increased provincial control over permitting, land use, and budgets.
Further changes were announced earlier this month. Bill 68, the provincial budget bill, establishes the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency. At the time of writing, Bill 68 had passed third reading without committee consideration. Additionally, the province announced a plan to amalgamate Ontario’s 36 watershed-based conservation authorities into 7 regional agencies. The proposed boundaries are posted on the Environmental Registry with a closing date of December 22, 2025
CELA is carefully tracking this proposal and will continue to assess its potential impacts on drinking water protection, climate resilience, and community health.
Continued Concerns with Bill 5: CELA is calling on the Ontario government to reverse two proposals that would weaken environmental and public health protections. The government should repeal both the Species Conservation Act and the Special Economic Zones Act, both of which were introduced under Bill 5. Full submissions can be found on our website.
Changes to Water and Wastewater Governance: Under Bill 60, the government proposes to introduce the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act. CELA calls for water to remain in public ownership, for duty of care for water safety to be maintained, and warns against a rate regulation system for water. At the time of writing, Bill 60 had passed third reading without committee consideration.
Changes to Drinking Water Source Protection: Bill 56 recently passed before the timeframe for the related Environmental Registry postings closed, reducing opportunity for public comments. CELA’s comments on the proposed changes to the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act can be found on our website.
Comments on CUSMA: Environmental protections should be strengthened in the review of Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. All trade agreements must ensure that Canada is free to pursue strong and precautionary protections for the environment, free from “race to the bottom” pressures from other jurisdictions. Read CELA’s comments on our website.
Maintain Pesticide Evaluation: More than a dozen health and environmental organizations expressed alarm over the federal government’s proposal to amend the Pest Control Products Act to eliminate cyclical re-evaluations of pesticides.
Ban Forever Chemicals: Canada is proposing new regulations to prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, and import of PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in firefighting foam, a major source of contamination that has polluted waterways, including the Great Lakes, and exposed nearly all Canadians. CELA, along with Health and Justice Environment Support, Northwatch, and Citizens’ Network on Waste Management support strong restrictions and call for rapid adoption of safer alternatives.
Events and Resources
Neighbourhoods for Nature, Caring Communities: CELA staff were pleased to attend an excellent community event hosted by Liveable Sudbury earlier this month. Attended by over 200 people, the event focused on actions to prepare our families, homes and neighbourhoods for climate change.
Landlords Self-help Forum CELA also recently attended the Landlords Self-Help Forum, sharing information about protecting tenants from extreme heat and maintaining safe indoor environments.
From the Foundation
November Feature: This month’s feature from the Canadian Environmental Law Archive is a 2004 “Water FAQ” factsheet developed by CELA and the Foundation (then the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law). At the time of its writing, significant effort was underway in Ontario to protect water resources, largely due to the recommendations that flowed from the Walkerton Inquiry. The FAQ factsheet was provided to foster a a better understanding of the the regulatory context for water, water quality and drinking water protection, drinking water sources, and water quantity and sustainability.
The report, titled “Democracy and Environmental Accountability in Ontario” pointed to a dismantling of mechanisms for ensuring the legal and political accountability of the provincial government for the decisions it makes about Ontario’s environment and natural resources, and made a series of recommendations to restore public participation and government responsibility.
November 2025 Newsletter – Intervenor, Volume 52, Number 4
A PDF version of this newsletter is found on the Canadian Environmental Law Archive website; click here to open it in a new tab.
Casework
CELA represented two members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation on the appeal by INEOS Styrolution Canada Ltd before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
The company had appealed the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks decision last year to suspend its environmental compliance approval (ECA) following elevated levels of benzene and reports of members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community feeling unwell. The Ministry also amended the ECA requiring the company to take certain steps regarding the storage and discharge of benzene at the facility. The company was also required to provide a comprehensive benzene monitoring and community notification plan.
In November, the company announced that it would be decommissioning its facility. The company also withdrew its appeal before the OLT. While this case had a positive outcome, there are still significant air pollutants in the community.
Law Reform
Reintroduce First Nations Clean Water Act. CELA urges the federal government to reintroduce Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act. While progress has been made over many years, there are still too many First Nations whose treated drinking water is not adequately or consistently safe and whose systems are the subject of ongoing and even long-term boil water advisories. This situation is untenable, unacceptable, inequitable, and a breach of the human right to safe drinking water that is held by the members of those communities.
More Changes Coming for CAs: Ontario’s watershed-based Conservation Authorities (CAs) are essential to protecting drinking water, reducing flood risk, conserving natural areas, and monitoring watershed health. Over the past decade, a number of provincial changes have narrowed CA powers, redefined what programs CAs are allowed to deliver, and increased provincial control over permitting, land use, and budgets.
Further changes were announced earlier this month. Bill 68, the provincial budget bill, establishes the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency. At the time of writing, Bill 68 had passed third reading without committee consideration. Additionally, the province announced a plan to amalgamate Ontario’s 36 watershed-based conservation authorities into 7 regional agencies. The proposed boundaries are posted on the Environmental Registry with a closing date of December 22, 2025
CELA is carefully tracking this proposal and will continue to assess its potential impacts on drinking water protection, climate resilience, and community health.
Continued Concerns with Bill 5: CELA is calling on the Ontario government to reverse two proposals that would weaken environmental and public health protections. The government should repeal both the Species Conservation Act and the Special Economic Zones Act, both of which were introduced under Bill 5. Full submissions can be found on our website.
Changes to Water and Wastewater Governance: Under Bill 60, the government proposes to introduce the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act. CELA calls for water to remain in public ownership, for duty of care for water safety to be maintained, and warns against a rate regulation system for water. At the time of writing, Bill 60 had passed third reading without committee consideration.
Changes to Drinking Water Source Protection: Bill 56 recently passed before the timeframe for the related Environmental Registry postings closed, reducing opportunity for public comments. CELA’s comments on the proposed changes to the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act can be found on our website.
Comments on CUSMA: Environmental protections should be strengthened in the review of Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. All trade agreements must ensure that Canada is free to pursue strong and precautionary protections for the environment, free from “race to the bottom” pressures from other jurisdictions. Read CELA’s comments on our website.
Maintain Pesticide Evaluation: More than a dozen health and environmental organizations expressed alarm over the federal government’s proposal to amend the Pest Control Products Act to eliminate cyclical re-evaluations of pesticides.
Ban Forever Chemicals: Canada is proposing new regulations to prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, and import of PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in firefighting foam, a major source of contamination that has polluted waterways, including the Great Lakes, and exposed nearly all Canadians. CELA, along with Health and Justice Environment Support, Northwatch, and Citizens’ Network on Waste Management support strong restrictions and call for rapid adoption of safer alternatives.
Events and Resources
Neighbourhoods for Nature, Caring Communities: CELA staff were pleased to attend an excellent community event hosted by Liveable Sudbury earlier this month. Attended by over 200 people, the event focused on actions to prepare our families, homes and neighbourhoods for climate change.
Landlords Self-help Forum CELA also recently attended the Landlords Self-Help Forum, sharing information about protecting tenants from extreme heat and maintaining safe indoor environments.
From the Foundation
November Feature: This month’s feature from the Canadian Environmental Law Archive is a 2004 “Water FAQ” factsheet developed by CELA and the Foundation (then the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law). At the time of its writing, significant effort was underway in Ontario to protect water resources, largely due to the recommendations that flowed from the Walkerton Inquiry. The FAQ factsheet was provided to foster a a better understanding of the the regulatory context for water, water quality and drinking water protection, drinking water sources, and water quantity and sustainability.
The report, titled “Democracy and Environmental Accountability in Ontario” pointed to a dismantling of mechanisms for ensuring the legal and political accountability of the provincial government for the decisions it makes about Ontario’s environment and natural resources, and made a series of recommendations to restore public participation and government responsibility.
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