Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-15-057 - Environmental Committee Recommendation - Waterloo Region Blue Dot Movement - Right to a Healthy Environment REPORT TO: Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 20, 2015 SUBMITTED BY: Environmental Committee PREPARED BY: Dianna Saunderson, Committee Administrator, 519-741-2200 ext. 7277 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: March 11, 2015 REPORT NO.: FCS-15-057 SUBJECT: Environmental Committee Recommendation – Waterloo Region Blue Dot Movement ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That the Blue Dot Movement ‘Model Municipal Declaration: for the Right to a Healthy Environment’, be endorsed, as outlined in Appendix ‘A’, of Finance and Corporate Services Department report FCS-15-057; and further, That the Mayor, on behalf of City Council, correspond with the Right Honourable Stephen Harper and the Honourabe Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario calling for the development of federal and provincial legislation that recognizes that all people have the right to live in a healthy environment. BACKGROUND: At the end of 2014, staff were contacted by Mr. Jim Marston, Waterloo Region Blue Dot Movement, with a request to address the Environmental Committee to outline his organizations goal to have environmental rights (e.g., the right to fresh air, clean water and healthy food) added to Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. REPORT: At the February 19, 2015 Environmental Committee meeting, Mr. Marston, Waterloo Region goal of Blue Dot Movement addressed the Committee requesting support for his organization’s entrenching Canadians’ environmental rights into the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He indicated the Blue Dot Movement would use the support demonstrated by the municipalities through the adoption of the declaration, to leverage the Province and the Federal government to help implement or improve the Environmental Bill of Rights, with the ultimate goal of including environmental rights in the Charter. He noted that his *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 1 - 1 group has been communicating with staff at the Region of Waterloo, City of Waterloo and City of Cambridge as they are pursuing support from all of the municipalities within the Region. Mr. Marston provided the Committee with an overview of the proposed Declaration, noting that the Blue Dot national office, in conjunction with Ecojustice, a Canadian non- profit environmental law firm, has provided a Model Municipal Declaration that could be customized to better align with current municipal policies and practises. He stated that the City of Waterloo’s Environmental Committee put forward a recommendation, requesting their Council to refer it back to staff for further review. He advised that the City of Hamilton has passed a motion to adopt the Declaration including some minor amendments. He noted that the Movement has a goal to have one of the municipalities within Waterloo Region adopt the Declaration by Earth Day on April 22, 2015. Model Municipal Declaration with an added Members expressed support for endorsing requirement that the Mayor, on behalf of City Council, correspond with the Right Honourable Stephen Harper and the Honourabe Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario calling for the development of Federal and Provincial legislation that recognizes that all people have the right to live in a healthy environment. Mr. Jim Marston, Waterloo Region Blue Dot Movement, has agreed to attend the April 20, 2015 Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting to respond to questions from the Committee. In addition, a copy of the Model Municipal Declaration: for the Right to a Healthy Environment and presentation from the February 19, 2015 Environment Committee meeting provided by Waterloo Region Blue Dot Movement has been attached as background information. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The Environmental Committee has put forward a recommendation to endorse the Blue Dot Movement’s ‘Model Municipal Declaration: for the Right to a Healthy Environment’, which could align with the Environmental Community Priorities contained within the Strategic Plan. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There were no financial implications provided by the delegation regarding the proposal. Environmental Planning staff have expressed concerns that adopting the Model Municipal Declaration may have some financial implications. Details outlining those implications were not available when the Committee made its recommendation. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – Through the February 19, 2015 Environmental Committee agenda, the Blue Dot Movement’s ‘Model Municipal Declaration: for the Right to a Healthy Environment’ request was made available for review on the City’s website as of February 6, 2015. CONSULT – At the February 19, 2015 Environmental Committee meeting, the Chair informed all those in attendance that any recommendation arising from the Committee 1 - 2 would be considered at the March 30, 2015 Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting. Due to scheduling conflicts the Committee’s recommendation was rescheduled for the April 20, 2015 Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapmen, Deputy CAO, Finance and Corporate Services 1 - 3 ModelMunicipalDeclaration TheRightToAHealthyEnvironment WhereastheMUNICIPALITYunderstandsthatpeoplearepartoftheenvironment,andthatahealthy environmentisinextricablylinkedtothewellbeingofourcommunity; TheMUNICIPALITYfindsanddeclaresthat: 1.Allpeoplehavetherighttoliveinahealthyenvironment,including: Therighttobreathecleanair Therighttodrinkcleanwater u Therighttoconsumesafefood u Therighttoaccessnature Therighttoknowaboutpollutantsandcontaminantsreleasedintothelocalenvironment. Therighttoparticipateindecisionmakingthatwillaffecttheenvironment 2.TheMUNICIPALITYhastheresponsibility,withinitsjurisdiction,torespect,protect,fulfilland promotetheserights. 3.TheMUNICIPALITYshallapplytheprecautionaryprinciple:wherethreatsofseriousor irreversibledamagetohumanhealthortheenvironmentexist,theMUNICIPALITYshalltakecost ctthehealthofits effectivemeasurestopreventthedegradationoftheenvironmentandprote citizens.Lackoffullscientificcertaintyshallnotbeviewedassufficientreasonforthe MUNCIPALITYtopostponesuchmeasures 4.TheMUNICIPALITYshallapplyfullcostaccounting:whenevaluatingreasonablyforeseeablecosts ofproposedactionsandalternatives,theMUNICIPALITYwillconsidercoststohumanhealthand theenvironment. 5.By2017,theMUNICIPALITYshallspecifyobjectives,targetsandtimelinesandactionsthe MUNCIPALITYwilltake,withinitsjurisdiction,tofulfill©;­z7;“·­xrighttoahealthyenvironment, includingpriorityactionsto: a.Ensureequitabledistributionofenvironmentalbenefitsandburdenswithinthe municipality,preventingthedevelopmentofpollution{wš·­¦š·­|s b.Ensureinfrastructureanddevelopmentprojectsprotecttheenvironment,includingair quality; 1 - 4 c.Addressclimatechangebyreducinggreenhousegasemissionsandimplementing adaptationmeasures; d.Responsiblyincreasedensity; e.Prioritizewalking,cyclingandpublictransitaspreferredmodesoftransportation; f.Ensureadequateinfrastructurefortheprovisionofsafeandaccessibledrinkingwater; g.Promotetheavailabilityofsafefoods; h.Reducesolidwasteandpromoterecyclingandcomposting; i.Establishandmaintainaccessiblegreenspacesinallresidentialneighbourhoods. TheMUNICIPALITYshallreviewtheobjectives,targets,timelinesandactionseveryfive(5) years,andevaluateprogresstowardsfulfillingthisdeclaration. TheMUNICIPALITYshallconsultwithresidentsaspartofthisprocess. 1 - 5 1 - 6 1 - 7 1 - 8 1 - 9 1 - 10 1 - 11 1 - 12 1 - 13 1 - 14 1 - 15