Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am here to introduce Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Environmental Protection Act.

This bill makes several amendments to the act. It will:

• remove the non-application provision;

• authorize the Minister to determine that discharges are nuisances;

• authorize the Minister to establish and make publicly available a register regarding environmental contaminants;

• authorize the Minister to exempt persons from complying with the act or regulations in accordance with the regulations in place;

• create a new exception to the prohibition against releasing contaminants for discharges authorized under other legislation, and provides that the exception to the prohibition does not apply to nuisance discharges;

• allow for regulation of the manufacture, use, installation, removal, and modification of equipment that discharges contaminants, including measures designed to control the release of contaminants; and

• provide the Minister with regulation-making authority, particularly for making air regulations.

The amended EPA will also require persons intending to discharge a contaminant:

• to be authorized by this act or the regulations,

• to register with the Minister,

• to obtain a license or permit, and/or

• to provide the prescribed information.

With air quality in the NWT presently unregulated, the amendments I have described will enable the air regulatory gap to be closed through development of air regulations that are tailored for the Northwest Territories context. Significant consultation and engagement on these amendments has been conducted. We feel these amendments strike a good balance between flexibility and reflecting a modern environmental regime. Thank you, Mr. Chair.