Guidelines for the use of information gathering authorities: preface

Preface

These Guidelines address the requirement in subsection 47 (1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA '99) to issue guidelines respecting the use of the information gathering powers provided for by subsection 46(1).

Part 3 of CEPA '99, which includes sections 43 to 55, requires the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health to conduct certain types of research. Part 3 also requires the Minister of the Environment to monitor environmental quality, and to establish and maintain a national inventory of releases of pollutants, and provides authority for information gathering and for issuing objectives, guidelines and codes of practice. More specifically, subsection 46(1) authorizes the Minister of the Environment to issue notices requiring information for the purposes of conducting research, creating an inventory of data, formulating objectives and codes of practice, issuing guidelines or, assessing or reporting on the state of the environment.

These Guidelines outline the factors and options that will be considered by the Minister before using the information gathering powers under section 46.