5
TRANSPORTATION - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Legislation Aimed at Improving Environmental Quality
Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)
On September 14, 1999, the Parliament of Canada granted Royal
Assent to the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
(CEPA 1999). The legislation is expected to come into force in
the spring of 2000.
The new Act provides the government with stronger powers to
protect the environment and human health. Minister of the Environment
David Anderson announced $72 million in new funding for implementation
of the Act. There will be more regulations in areas such as engine
emissions, as well as changes to the way in which things are regulated.
While the 1988 Act focused on managing pollution, the guiding
principles of the 1999 Act are pollution prevention, an integrated
ecosystem approach, the precautionary principle, and the
need to foster intergovernmental co-operation.
The 1999 Act expands the authority to control the components
and the handling of fuels and provides for a national fuels mark
(similar to an ecologo) to be used at gas station pumps. The legislative
authority to set engine emission standards for new motor vehicles
will be transferred from Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle
Safety Act to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999,
once the new legislation is in force. This legislative authority
will also be expanded to cover other types of engines (e.g. off-road
vehicles, generators, lawn mowers, etc.).
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) requires that
an environmental assessment be conducted before designated federal
departments/entities issue certain approvals for proposed projects
as defined in CEAA and its Regulations.
Transport Canada participated in the development of the CEAA
"Canada Port Authority (CPA) Environmental Assessment Regulations"
which came into force on July 28, 1999. The Regulations fulfill
a commitment made in passing CEAA and the Canada Marine Act. CPAs
are now responsible for conducting environmental assessments and
for meeting the requirements of the Regulation. As part of its
responsibilities under the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada
Marine Act, Transport Canada will monitor and report on the implementation
of the Canada Port Authority Environmental Assessment process.
Transport Canada worked closely with the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency to introduce changes to the "Comprehensive
Study List Regulations" related to marine terminals. The
Regulations now require a proposed marine terminal designed to
handle 25,000 deadweight tonnes to undergo a comprehensive environmental
assessment when the terminal is not located on lands routinely
or historically used, or designated following public consultation,
for that purpose.
The CEAA "Inclusion List Regulations" have also been
amended to require an environmental assessment of proposed remediation
of contaminated land in Canada.
Energy Demand
Transportation is the single largest energy user in Canada.
In 1998, transportation accounted for about one third of
energy used, or 2,426 petajoules of a total of 6,974. Transportation
was followed by manufacturing (1,757 petajoules), residential
(1,181), commercial and institutions (858), mining (337), agriculture
(225), public administration (130), construction (48) and
forestry (12). Figure 5-3 shows total energy use for the
five highest energy-consuming sectors in the Canadian economy
for selected years from 1980 to 1998.
Figure 5-4 shows energy use in the transportation sector by
mode in 1998. Road is the biggest consumer of energy at 73 per
cent, followed by pipelines, air, marine and rail. Energy use
and greenhouse gas emissions are directly related: road transport,
for example, accounts for roughly the same proportion of total
greenhouse gas emissions from transportation as energy consumed.
Table 5-6 shows energy use in the transportation sector by
fuel for selected years from 1980 to 1998. For traditional fuels,
the per cent of diesel and jet fuel used has increased, reflecting
higher growth in air travel and transportation industries using
diesel (i.e. railways, trucks, buses and pipelines) than in the
rest of the transportation sector. The percentage use of gasoline,
primarily by private transportation, and light and heavy fuel
oil by marine, have decreased, reflecting slower growth rates
in these sectors, but also fuel efficiency improvement in private
transportation vehicles. The percentage use of alternative fuels,
most notably natural gas, has increased.
Looking Ahead
Governments across Canada, industry and stakeholders will continue
to take action to address transport-related environmental challenges.
Their objective is to promote sustainable transportation by ensuring
that environmental, economic and social considerations are factored
into decisions affecting transportation activity. Partnerships
and clear and open lines of communications will be essential
in achieving this objective.
Legislation Aimed at Improving Environmental Quality
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