The role of President of CCME rotates among the 14 ministers of environment on an annual basis. The Honourable Diana McQueen, Minister of Environment and Water for Alberta, currently leads the Council.  

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
2010-2011

As President of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment I have seen first-hand how collaborative efforts can deliver the kind of positive environmental results that Canadians expect. I have long believed that working together more effectively can only better protect the environment and I am pleased to see that CCME reaches outside our departmental walls and engages with other departments, organizations and stakeholders.

At our last meeting ministers agreed to move forward with a new collaborative air management approach, directing officials to develop the major elements of the system in 2011 with implementation beginning in 2013. Since then significant jurisdictional resources have been dedicated to developing the proposed levels for the first Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), Base Level Industrial Emission Requirements (BLIERs), delineation of air zones and airsheds, and the other elements of the system. Stakeholders representing industry, environmental and health organizations have been engaged in all aspects of this development process, as well as at an overall advisory level.

Water is a priority issue for Canadians and continues to be of key concern to CCME. CCME is now implementing its three year water action plan. Several activities are now underway, including the development of a framework for groundwater sustainability, Canada-wide principles for integrated watershed management, and guidance for jurisdictions adapting their water monitoring networks to a changing climate.   
 
With the endorsement by ministers of the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent in February 2009 CCME’s work shifted to monitoring implementation of the Strategy. The first major step in implementing the strategy has been the development by Environment Canada of draft Regulations under the Fisheries Act. Consultation on the shape of these Regulations over the past few months has demonstrated once again the value of close collaboration among all orders of government on these major environmental initiatives.

Wastewater biosolids was also identified as a new priority during the development of the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent. CCME is now developing a Canada-wide approach for the management of wastewater biosolids. As with other major CCME initiatives this work has engaged key stakeholders supported by web-based public consultation. 

Much of CCME’s work produces useful tools for environmental management, such as water quality guidelines for uranium and Canadian soil quality guidelines for n-hexane. CCME’s web-based Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines and recently-launched interactive summary table are recognized both in Canada and internationally as essential tools for environmental managers in all sectors.

It is apparent that CCME’s work is wide and varied, and yet it represents only a portion of the environmental challenges we as ministers face. Environment ministers are not just regulators and enforcers. We must also be leaders anticipating future environmental issues.

I firmly believe that some of the most important work we do is undertaken within CCME. The lessons we learn, the policies we develop and the collaboration we build serve us in our home jurisdictions and collectively serve all Canadians. 

Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources
Northwest Territories