The federal government has reached an equivalency
agreement with Quebec over wastewater pollution regulations
intended to protect fish. Under the federal Fisheries Act, the federal government
can agree NOT to apply its regulations in a province, if it agrees
that provincial regulations in that province provide
"equivalent" protection. A similar agreement was reached
in December for the
Yukon.
The official explanation from the Canada Gazette for the Quebec
order follows:
Issues
Quebec's laws and regulations for
managing wastewater effluent provide, for the wastewater systems
covered by them, controls equivalent in effect to those under the
federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER).
The two levels of government have negotiated the proposed
Canada–Quebec Agreement on Acts and Regulations
Applicable to the Quebec Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Sector(proposed equivalency agreement). The proposed
equivalency agreement would allow the Governor in
