Guilbeault a l'appui de Mashteuiatsh et Essipit dans ses démarches

The Government of Canada has amended regulations under the Impact Assessment Act to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, particularly interprovincial pipelines. These changes shift regulatory responsibility for certain energy projects to the Canada Energy Regulator while removing other project types from federal review following the Supreme Court's 2024 constitutional ruling.

The Canadian government has removed seven types of energy projects from federal impact assessment requirements, shifting review responsibilities to the Canada Energy Regulator and provincial processes. This regulatory change affects pipelines, electrical transmission lines, oil sands facilities, and power plants, fundamentally altering how major energy infrastructure projects will be evaluated and approved across Canada.

Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association "Window on Ottawa", on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette.

Yesterday, the Federal Government announced changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to exempt various projects funded under the Building Canada Plan from federal environmental assessment ("EA") requirements.

Quebec has dramatically increased minimum environmental fines for designated industrial activities by a factor of ten, with penalties now reaching up to $300,000 per day for contaminant releases. These changes, effective August 13, 2026, apply to nine categories of industrial operations including aluminum smelters, mines, cement plants, and chemical facilities, with fines doubling on first recidivism and tripling thereafter.

Canadian governments and producer-responsibility organizations are refining extended producer responsibility programs across the country, affecting packaging, batteries, electronics, and hazardous products. Recent regulatory changes include expanded collection obligations, adjusted compliance timelines, and new enforcement measures, with significant developments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces.

Although there is debate about whether the world is suffering from climate change, according to a 2024 United Nations survey, 80 percent of people worldwide want their country to do more about it. Based on measurements of the world’s glaciers, there is certainly scientific evidence that they have receded each year for the past 37 years and that they are melting faster than ever.

The United Kingdom program, Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments, provides excellent resources on contaminated site remediation.

Canada is proposing to eliminate its federal zero-emission vehicle sales mandate and replace it with technology-neutral greenhouse gas emission standards. The shift comes amid declining EV sales, affordability concerns, and trade uncertainty with the United States, raising questions about how the automotive industry will balance climate goals with market realities. What will this regulatory transformation mean for manufacturers, consumers, and Canada's electrification timeline?

Here is Dianne’s presentation to the Canadian Bar Association Mid-winter meeting in Halifax, on Contaminated Site Litigation after Inco.