Attn: Lisa Kingsmore Senior…

Attn: Lisa Kingsmore Senior Policy Analyst Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Climate Change and Environmental Policy Division Resource Recovery Policy Branch 40 St. Clair Avenue West , Floor 8 Toronto Ontario M4V1M2 The City of Hamilton provides the following comments with respect to the regulations under the Proposed Transitional Operating Agreement between the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. These comments form part of the City of Hamilton City Council Report 17-003 (February 22, 2017), available at www.hamilton.ca As a member of the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario (RPWCO), the City of Hamilton is supportive of the proposed Transitional Operating Agreement as outlined in EBR Registry Number 012-9381. The following are the City of Hamilton’s comments regarding the proposed Transitional Operating Agreement: 1. The City of Hamilton is supportive of the proposed Transitional Operating Agreement as it will ensure accountability between the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. 2. It is essential the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority ensures there is a smooth transition of the existing waste diversion programs and develops a new fair integrated waste management system under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. 3. The Ontario Government and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority must ensure existing waste diversion programs will continue to be provided to the public under the Waste Diversion Transition Act without disruption until their wind-up. 4. It is strongly recommended the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority’s composition include representation to support municipal interests since municipalities have a major role in the operation of existing waste diversion programs in Ontario. 5. Funding for municipal waste diversion programs including the Blue Box program must be determined in a transparent and accountable manner and funding levels must be maintained until their wind-up with no residual negative impact for municipalities. 6. It is recommended the Ontario Government finalize draft transition plans to the new Extended Producer Responsibility regime under the new Act in a timely and expedited manner allowing adequate time for consideration and review by municipalities.

[Original Comment ID: 208579]