Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - June 22, 2024 - Environmental and social justice advocates in Canada have welcomed a new bill that aims to develop a national strategy to prevent and address the effects of environmental racism.

The Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice (CCECJ) said that the passage of Bill C-226 would help communities better understand the scale of the problem and lay out strategies for how to tackle it. The bill passed a third reading in the Senate on Thursday and is now expected to achieve "royal assent," the last step in the legislative process.

Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate siting of hazardous projects and polluting industries among populations of colour and Indigenous communities. Examples include mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows First Nation in northern Ontario, the building of major oil and gas pipelines on unceded, Indigenous lands, and the placement of landfills near historic African-Canadian communities on the east coast.

Advocates have spent years urging the Canadian government to take action on the issue, which continues to be felt in communities across the country.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals had promised in their 2021 party platform to pass legislation requiring the environment minister to "examine the link between race, socio-economic status, and exposure to environmental risk."

Bill C-226 requires the minister to develop a national strategy to promote efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and assess, prevent, and address environmental racism.