9. Government operations and federal and Aboriginal lands

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) gives the Minister the authority to establish objectives, guidelines, and codes of practice for the federal house, and the Minister may recommend regulations on the federal house to the Governor in Council.

Part 9 of CEPA 1999 provides the authority to regulate departments, boards, and agencies of the Government of Canada, federal works and undertakings, federal land, Aboriginal land, persons on that land and other persons insofar as their activities involve that land, and Crown corporations. It also requires the Minister to establish objectives, guidelines, and codes of practice for the purpose of carrying out the Minister's duties and functions under this part related to the quality of the environment.

In 2004-05, consultations continued with provincial and territorial governments, industry, and other government departments on the proposed Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulations. The proposed regulations will replace the existing Federal Registration of Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products on Federal Lands or Aboriginal Lands Regulations and will provide a more comprehensive framework to effectively prevent soil and groundwater contamination from storage tank systems. The proposed regulations will include requirements for suppliers of petroleum products, removal of leaking systems, spill reporting, and emergency planning.