Not enough Canadians are aware that the Office of the Auditor General of Canada has an environmental petitions process, according to a recent media release.
The petition process allows any resident of Canada to submit a petition to Ministers of 26 federal departments and agencies, who must personally reply to the petition within 120 days.
The petitioner can pose questions or concerns they have relating to either environmental or sustainable development matters that fall within the authority of the federal government.
In the past, petitions have covered a diverse range of issues from oil tankers on the west coast, salmon farming, fisheries, pollution, shale gas fracking, toxic chemicals and climate change.
The petition, subject to the consent of the petitioner, is published on the Auditor General's website along with the Ministerial response, which allows more Canadians to become informed about the issues raised.
A guide to using the environmental petitions process is available at Getting Answers – A Guide to the Environmental Petitions Process: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/docs/pet_lp_e_930.pdf