The Ontario government introduced legislation today, November 25, 2024, that, if passed, would help communities reduce the risk and impacts of wildland fires and hazardous oil and gas wells.
The Resource Management and Safety Act would also help attract more land surveyors to the profession to support building more homes and other infrastructure and would enable and regulate the use of carbon storage technology, Provincial officials say.
“Our government is helping communities protect precious resources by taking steps to minimize the adverse environmental, economic and health impacts of wildland fires and hazardous oil and gas wells,” said Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources. “This legislation will also help accelerate the building of critical infrastructure like hospitals, schools and homes while protecting the environment and support new ways to safely manage CO2 emissions while creating good paying jobs.”
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said the legislative changes proposed are a necessary step to protecting resources and enhancing community safety.
“Chatham-Kent is thankful that the Government of Ontario is supporting our community by continuing to make changes to prevent or reduce the impact of oil and gas well emergencies in the future,” Canniff said in a media release.
The Resource Management and Safety Act includes the following legislative changes:
– Modernizing the Forest Fires Prevention Act to enhance wildland fire prevention and preparedness, including with new requirements for wildland fire management plans and stricter penalties for those who don’t follow wildland fire laws, to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused fires.
– Changes to the Oil, Gas, and Salt Resources Act that would allow the ministry to take immediate action to address hazardous oil and gas wells that pose a public safety risk when an operator is not compliant with a ministry order in certain circumstances such as death or bankruptcy and recover costs of any action taken on the well.
– To support Ontario’s rapid infrastructure and housing development needs, the province is proposing to amend the Surveyors Act to enhance the vital role land surveyors play in the province’s development and growth and help attract more surveyors to the profession to support their key role in helping ensure access to safe and affordable housing options.
“Our forestry sector is vitally important to Ontario, producing critical building materials, and managing and renewing Ontario’s forests, which can play an important role in reducing the risk of wildland fire,” said Kevin Holland, Minister of Forestry and Forest Products, in a press release.
“These new protections allow the province to help job creators build Ontario and provide better service for communities.”
As part of this legislation, the Ontario government is also proposing a new act that would support innovation and help manage emissions.
The Geologic Carbon Storage Act, if passed, would enable the regulation of commercial-scale geologic carbon storage which involves injecting captured CO2, that would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere and injecting it into deep underground rock formations for permanent storage.
This advanced technology would help energy-intensive industries reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 5 to 7 million tonnes per year, create upwards of 4,000 short-term jobs, and reduce the price Ontario industries pay on carbon by close to $1 billion a year while ensuring public safety.
The ministry will continue to consult with stakeholders and Indigenous communities to refine the proposed framework as commercial scale projects are proposed by industry.
“Carbon storage is new to the province, and the ministry is developing a framework that will ensure it is done responsibly, with measures in place to safeguard people and the environment,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources, in a media release.
“By mitigating emissions, carbon storage has the potential to transform Ontario’s essential natural resource industries into internationally recognized global suppliers of clean building materials while creating new good paying jobs.”
If the Resource Management and Safety Act is passed, the province will continue to consult and develop supporting regulations to implement changes, where necessary, Provincial officials added.
