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e-1959 (Protection of the environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Jeffrey Orville Olson from Theodore, Saskatchewan

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Whereas:
  • The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has statutory responsibilities concerning water and wetlands;
  • The construction and operation of agricultural drainage network projects in Saskatchewan include an accumulated diversion of 10 000 000 m3/year or more;
  • The network projects will affect changes to the environment affecting Indigenous peoples and their inherent rights; and
  • The Province of Saskatchewan is presently licencing agricultural network drainage works that eliminate wetlands and those network projects divert water interprovincially and internationally, causing billions of dollars in downstream flooding and has negative environmental impacts to groundwater recharge, water quality and storage of carbon, native flora and fauna including rare, endangered and threatened species and their habitats.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to:
1. Designate that the following Saskatchewan network drainage projects be physical activities requiring an Environmental Assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and, therefore order an impartial full environmental impact assessment of the projects, including meaningful public and Indigenous consultations:
(a) Blackbird Creek;
(b) 600 Creek;
(c) Saline Lake;
(d) Brooksby;
(e) Atwater;
(f) Vipond;
(g) Wascana Block A;
(h) Lang West; and
(i) Dry Lake;
2. Designate that the New Approach to Agricultural Water Management in Saskatchewan be a physical activity requiring an Environmental Assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and therefore order an impartial full environmental impact assessment including meaningful public and Indigenous consultations.
Government response tabled on May 27, 2019 (Sessional Paper No. 8545-421-3-75)
Open for signature
December 4, 2018, at 11:47 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
April 3, 2019, at 11:47 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Sheri Benson (Saskatoon West)
April 10, 2019 (Petition No. 421-03388)
Government response tabled
May 27, 2019
Photo - Sheri Benson
Saskatoon West
New Democratic Party Caucus
Saskatchewan