After a temporary exemption in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government has reinstated the full requirements of its Environmental Bill of Rights.
On June 15, 2020, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) revoked O. Reg. 115/20 so that the requirements under the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR) to post proposals for acts, policies, regulations and instruments on the Environmental Registry (ERO) and to consider the Statements of Environmental Values (SEV) are restored.
On April 1, 2020, the Ontario Government made a temporary regulation to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Ontario Regulation 115/20 exempted all proposals for policies, acts, regulations and instruments from posting requirements under the EBR until 30 days after the termination of the declared emergency.
Since the temporary regulation was made, the government has posted the following bulletins for urgent COVID-19 related decisions:
- Delayed commencement of the new Excess Soil Regulation and exemption from Record of Site Condition for temporary hospitals and residences
- Amendments to the Petrochemical – Industry Standard under the Local Air Quality Regulation (O. Reg. 419/05)
- Amendments to the Petroleum Refining – Industry Standards under the Local Air Quality Regulation (O. Reg. 419/05)
- Suspension of Time-Of-Use (TOU) Electricity Rates during COVID-19 Outbreak
- Amendments to 2019 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Requirements in Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Extending Certificates and Licences under O. Reg. 267/03 of the Nutrient Management Act, 2002
- Bill 189, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support and Protection Act, 2020 amendments to the Planning Act and Ontario Regulation 149/20 Special Rules Relating to Declared Emergency
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