environment jobs Est. in 1994. Delivering Environment Jobs for 31 years
Title | Black day for green jobs: Feds prepare to cut environmental agency |
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OTTAWA — The federal government will slash funding to the environmental agency that evaluates potentially harmful policies and projects before they get the green light. And if the trend in declining funds and employees continues, Canada could experience a series of environmental disasters, as government loses access to valuable information about proposed resource projects — whether it's shale gas extraction, offshore drilling or big hydroelectric projects, critics say. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is looking at a 43.1 per cent cut in spending, dropping from $30 million in 2011-12 to $17.1 million in 2012-13, according to the agency's planning documents. This cut follows a 6.9 per cent, or $2.2-million, drop in the funds government allocated to the agency in 2010-11. Along with the budget cuts, the 17-year-old agency is facing a one-third reduction in the number of full-time staff, despite the government's commitment to improving the environmental assessment process laid out its June speech from the throne. |