Gord Brown praises new border water Bill

May 13, 2010

Ottawa – Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, praised a new Bill introduced in the House of Commons today that will protect rivers and streams that cross Canada’s border.

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, tabled the bill, the Transboundary Waters Protection Act, which protects Canadian river water by strengthening prohibitions on bulk removal of Canada’s water outside the country.

“This government is protecting Canadian waters for Canadians,” said Minister Cannon. “The protections in this new bill will preserve our drinking water and our natural heritage for generations to come.”

“The Bill is similar to a Bill that was passed in our first term in office that protects Great Lakes and other waters that straddle the border – waters that are under the jurisdiction of the International Joint Commission,” notes Brown.

“Protection of our freshwater resources is a key priority under the government’s Action Plan for Clean Water. We are working to make sure that our water is accessible, clean and safe for Canadians today and in the future,” said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment. “This important legislation makes it clear that we are not in the business of exporting our water. Canadian water is not a commodity. It is not for sale.”

The new act strengthens existing protections by bringing waters within federal jurisdiction under a more comprehensive prohibition against bulk water removals. Rivers and streams that cross international borders will now receive the same protection already in place for waters, such as the Great Lakes, that straddle them.
The Act gives the federal government new powers of inspection and enforcement and introduces tough new penalties for violations, including fines of up to $6 million for corporate violations. The bill offers unprecedented federal protection against bulk water exports while respecting provincial constitutional jurisdiction.