Updating the Statement of Environmental Values for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Description of policy

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is seeking comments on an update to the ministry’s Statement of Environmental Values (SEV) under the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).

The EBR establishes mechanisms to ensure the public is informed, engaged and consulted on matters of environmental significance, as well as to provide for government accountability in environmental decision-making.

The EBR requires that each ministry prescribed under the Act develop and publish a SEV specific to the work of that ministry. A SEV is a ministry’s statement of environmental principles and a guidance document directing the minister and ministry staff as they make decisions regarding policies, Acts and regulations that might affect the environment.

The EBR requires that the SEV explain:

• how the purposes of the act are to be applied when decisions that might significantly affect the environment are made in the ministry; and
• how consideration of the purposes of the act should be integrated with other considerations, including social, economic and scientific considerations, that are part of decision-making in the ministry.

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario monitors and reports on the obligation of prescribed ministries to consider their SEV when making decisions that may have a significant effect on the environment.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is proposing the following changes to its SEV:

• Update the Ministry’s vision and mandate to reflect current ministry priorities.
• Add a commitment to review the SEV every five years.
• Add a section that recognizes that the public interest requires a broad effort to build a cleaner and more resilient province with continued involvement and engagement with stakeholders and First Nation and Métis communities.
• Ensure that the language used in the SEV is consistent with the language used in the EBR.
• Revise the term Aboriginal to Indigenous.

Purpose of policy

To update the Statement of Environmental Values for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to reflect current ministry priorities.

Public consultation

This proposal was posted for a 45 day public review and comment period starting August 17, 2017. Comments were to be received by October 01, 2017.

All comments received during the comment period are being considered as part of the decision-making process by the Ministry.

Please Note: All comments and submissions received have become part of the public record.