The people of Ontario have as a common goal the protection, conservation and restoration of the natural environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
While the government has the primary responsibility for achieving this goal, the people should have means to ensure that it is achieved in an effective, timely, open and fair manner.
Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows: PART I
DEFINITIONS AND PURPOSES
Interpretation
1 (1) In this Act,
“air” means open air not enclosed in a building, structure, machine, chimney, stack or flue; (“air”)
“Auditor General” means the Auditor General under the Auditor General Act; (“vérificateur général”)
“environment” means the air, land, water, plant life, animal life and ecological systems of Ontario; (“environnement”)
“Environment Minister” means the member of the Executive Council to whom the administration of this Act is assigned under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre de l’Environnement”)
“greenhouse gas” means,
(a) carbon dioxide,
(b) methane,
(c) nitrous oxide,
(d) hydrofluorocarbons,
(e) perfluorocarbons,
(f) sulphur hexafluoride, or
(g) any other contaminant prescribed as a greenhouse gas by regulations under this Act; (“gaz à effet de serre”)
“harm” means any contamination or degradation and includes harm caused by the release of any solid, liquid, gas, odour, heat, sound, vibration or radiation; (“atteinte”)
“instrument”, except as otherwise provided under clause 121 (1) (c), means any document of legal effect issued under an Act and includes a permit, licence, approval, authorization, direction or order issued under an Act, but does not include a regulation; (“acte”)
“land” means surface land not enclosed in a building, land covered by water (which, for greater certainty, includes wetland) and all subsoil; (“terre”)
“policy” means a program, plan or objective and includes guidelines or criteria to be used in making decisions about the issuance, amendment or revocation of instruments but does not include an Act, a regulation or an instrument; (“politique”)
“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations under this Act; (“prescrit”)
“registry” means the environmental registry established under section 5; (“registre”)
“regulation”, except as otherwise provided under clause 121 (1) (c), has the same meaning as in Part III (Regulations) of the Legislation Act, 2006; (“règlement”)
“water” means surface water and ground water. (“eau”) 1993, c. 28, s. 1 (1); 2006, c. 21, Sched. F, s. 136 (1); 2018, c. 17, Sched. 15, s. 1.
Proposals for policies, Acts
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a proposal to make, pass, amend, revoke or repeal a policy or Act is a proposal for a policy or Act. 1993, c. 28, s. 1 (2).
