Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (S.C. 1999, c. 33)

Marginal note:Compensation for loss of property

• 292 (1) Where an offender has been convicted of an offence under this Act, the court may, at the time sentence is imposed and on the application of the person aggrieved, order the offender to pay to that person an amount by way of satisfaction or compensation for loss of or damage to property suffered by that person as a result of the commission of the offence.

• Marginal note:Enforcement

  (2) Where an amount that is ordered to be paid under subsection (1) is not paid forthwith, the applicant may, by filing the order, enter as a judgment, in the superior court of the province in which the trial was held, the amount ordered to be paid, and that judgment is enforceable against the offender in the same manner as if it were a judgment rendered against the offender in that court in civil proceedings.

Marginal note:Compensation for cost of remedial or preventive action

• 292.1 (1) A court shall not, under paragraph 291(1)(k), order an offender to compensate a person for the cost of any remedial or preventive action referred to in that paragraph if the person is entitled to make a claim for compensation for that cost under the Marine Liability Act or the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act.

• Marginal note:Compensation for loss or damage — property

  (2) A court shall not, under subsection 292(1), order an offender to pay to a person an amount by way of satisfaction or compensation for loss of or damage to property if the person is entitled to make a claim for compensation for that loss or damage under the Marine Liability Act or the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act.

Marginal note:Variation of sanctions

• 293 (1) Subject to subsection (2), where a court has made, in relation to an offender, an order or direction under section 288, 289 or 291, the court may, on application by the offender or the Attorney General, require the offender to appear before it and, after hearing the offender and the Attorney General, vary the order in one or any combination of the following ways that is applicable and, in the opinion of the court, is rendered desirable by a change in the circumstances of the offender since the order was made:

  • (a) make changes in the order or the conditions specified in it or extend the period for which the order is to remain in force for any period, not exceeding one year, that the court considers desirable; or

  • (b) decrease the period for which the order is to remain in force or relieve the offender, either absolutely or partially or for any period that the court considers desirable, of compliance with any condition that is specified in the order.

• Marginal note:Notice

  (2) Before making an order under subsection (1), the court may direct that notice be given to any persons that the court considers to be interested and may hear any such person.

Marginal note:Subsequent applications with leave

294 Where an application made under section 293 in respect of an offender has been heard by a court, no other application may be made under that section with respect to the offender except with leave of the court.

Marginal note:Application of fines

• 294.1 (1) Subject to regulations made under section 278, all fines received by the Receiver General in respect of the commission of an offence under this Act, other than fines collected under the Contraventions Act, are to be credited to the Environmental Damages Fund, an account in the accounts of Canada, and used for purposes related to protecting, conserving or restoring the environment or for administering that Fund.

• Marginal note:Recommendations of court

  (2) The court imposing the fine may recommend to the Minister that all or a portion of the fine credited to the Environmental Damages Fund be paid to a person or an organization specified by the court for a purpose referred to in subsection (1).

Marginal note:Publication of information about contraventions

• 294.2 (1) For the purpose of encouraging compliance with this Act and the regulations, the Minister shall maintain, in a registry accessible to the public, information about all convictions of corporations for offences under this Act.

• Marginal note:Retention

  (2) Information in the registry is to be maintained for a minimum of five years.

Marginal note:Minister may refuse or suspend permit

294.3 The Minister may refuse to issue a permit or other authorization under this Act, or may cancel such a permit or other authorization, if the applicant or the holder has been convicted of an offence under this Act.

Marginal note:Contraventions Act

294.4 If an offence under this Act is designated as a contravention under the Contraventions Act, subsection 8(5) of that Act does not apply in respect of the fine that may be established for that contravention.

Marginal note:Review

• 294.5 (1) The Minister shall, 10 years after the day on which this section comes into force and every 10 years after that, undertake a review of sections 272 to 294.4.

• Marginal note:Report to Parliament

  (2) The Minister shall, no later than one year after the day on which the review is undertaken, cause a report on the review to be tabled in each House of Parliament.

Environmental Protection Alternative Measures

Marginal note:Definitions

295 The definitions in this section apply in sections 296 to 309.

agreement

agreement means an agreement respecting environmental protection alternative measures. (accord)

Attorney General

Attorney General means the Attorney General of Canada or an agent of the Attorney General of Canada. (procureur général)

environmental protection alternative measures

environmental protection alternative measures means measures, other than judicial proceedings, that are used to deal with a person who is alleged to have committed an offence under this Act. (mesures de rechange)

person

person includes individuals, Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province and public bodies, bodies corporate, societies and companies. (personne)

Marginal note:When measures may be used

• 296 (1) Environmental protection alternative measures may be used to deal with a person who is alleged to have committed an offence under this Act only if it is not inconsistent with the purposes of this Act and the following conditions are met:

  • (a) the measures are part of a program of environmental protection alternative measures authorized by the Attorney General, after consultation with the Minister;

  • (b) the offence alleged to have been committed is an offence under this Act, except an offence

    • (i) in respect of the contravention of subsection 16(4), 81(1), (3) or (4), 82(1), 84(2) or 96(4), section 99, subsection 106(1), (3) or (4), 107(1), 109(1) or (2), 119(1), 148(1), 202(4) or 213(4) or section 227 or 228, or any obligation or prohibition arising from any of those provisions,

    • (ii) for failing to comply with

      • (A) an order or a direction made under this Act;

      • (B) an order, direction or decision of a court made under this Act; or

      • (C) an agreement, or

    • (iii) under any of paragraphs 272(1)(k) and (l) and subsections 274(1) and (2);

  • (c) an information has been laid in respect of the offence;

  • (d) the Attorney General, after consulting with the Minister, is satisfied that they would be appropriate, having regard to the nature of the offence, the circumstances surrounding its commission and the following factors, namely,

    • (i) the protection of the environment and of human life and health and other interests of society,

    • (ii) the person’s history of compliance with this Act,

    • (iii) whether the offence is a repeated occurrence,

    • (iv) any allegation that information is being or was concealed or other attempts to subvert the purposes and requirements of this Act are being or have been made, and

    • (v) whether any remedial or preventive action has been taken by or on behalf of the person in relation to the offence;

  • (e) the person has been advised of the right to be represented by counsel;

  • (f) the person accepts responsibility for the act or omission that forms the basis of the offence that the person is alleged to have committed;

  • (g) the person applies, in accordance with regulations made under section 309, to participate in the measures;

  • (h) the person and the Attorney General have entered into an agreement within the period of 180 days after the Attorney General has provided initial disclosure of the Crown’s evidence to the person;

  • (i) there is, in the opinion of the Attorney General, sufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution of the offence; and

  • (j) the prosecution of the offence is not barred at law.

• Marginal note:Restriction on use

  (2) Environmental protection alternative measures shall not be used to deal with a person who

  • (a) denies participation or involvement in the commission of the alleged offence; or

  • (b) expresses the wish to have any charge against the person dealt with by the court.

• Marginal note:Admissions not admissible in evidence

  (3) No admission, confession or statement accepting responsibility for a given act or omission made by a person as a condition of being dealt with by environmental protection alternative measures is admissible in evidence against the person in any civil or criminal proceedings.

• Marginal note:Dismissal of charge

  (4) Where environmental protection alternative measures have been used to deal with a person alleged to have committed an offence, the court shall dismiss the charge laid against the person in respect of that offence where the court is satisfied on a balance of probabilities that the person has complied with the agreement.

• Marginal note:No bar to proceedings

  (5) The use of environmental protection alternative measures in respect of a person who is alleged to have committed an offence is not a bar to any proceedings against the person under this Act.

• Marginal note:Laying of information, etc.

  (6) This section does not prevent any person from laying an information, obtaining the issue or confirmation of any process, or proceeding with the prosecution of any offence, in accordance with the law.

Marginal note:Sentencing considerations

297 If an information in respect of an offence of contravening an agreement has been laid and proceedings in respect of the alleged offence for which the agreement was entered into have been recommenced, the court imposing a sentence for either offence shall take into account, in addition to the principles and factors referred to in section 287.1, any sentence that has previously been imposed for the other offence.

Marginal note:Nature of measures contained in agreement

• 298 (1) An agreement may contain any terms and conditions, including

  • (a) terms and conditions having any or all of the effects set out in section 291 or any other terms and conditions having any of the effects prescribed by the regulations that the Attorney General, after consulting with the Minister, considers appropriate; and

  • (b) terms and conditions relating to the costs of laboratory tests and of field tests, travel and living expenses, costs of scientific analyses and other reasonable costs associated with supervising and verifying compliance with the agreement.

• Marginal note:Supervisory bodies

  (2) Any governmental or non-governmental body may supervise compliance with an agreement.