The federal department that enforces Canada’s environmental laws is in such disarray that some officers say they have been ignoring infractions in order to keep in line with Ottawa’s “priorities,” according to an internal government report.
The report by Gordon Owen, who is retiring at the end of January as head of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s enforcement branch, says a public service employee survey revealed serious problems that require immediate action.
One of the alarming issues identified in his report is a failure of some environmental enforcement officers to uphold the law.