From carbon capture technology to forest fire mitigation, a new bill introduced by Muskoka-Parry Sound MPP and Minister of Natural Resources Graydon Smith covers a lot of ground.
Smith recently introduced the Resource Management and Safety Act 2024, the fist new bill introduced by the Ministry of Natural Resources in nearly a decade. It also marks the first time a Muskoka Parry Sound MPP has tabled a bill in the House of Commons as a sitting government in more than two decades.
“It took a long time to put this all together but I feel like it’s had a very good reception so far, ” said Smith. “There are a lot of different components of this bill that are important to many different sectors in Ontario. I feel like it’s going to open up a lot of opportunities.”
Smith says, if passed, the bill will help communities reduce the risk and impacts of wildland fires and hazardous oil and gas wells, as well as help attract more land surveyors to the profession to support building more homes and other infrastructure and help enable and regulate the use of carbon storage technology.
The Resource Management and Safety Act, 2024 includes the following legislative changes:
- Modernizing the Forest Fires Prevention Act to enhance wildland fire prevention and preparedness, including new requirements for wildland fire management plans and stricter penalties for those who don’t follow wildland fire laws, to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused fires.
- Changes to the Oil, Gas, and Salt Resources Act that would allow the ministry to take immediate action to address hazardous oil and gas wells that pose a public safety risk when an operator is not compliant with a ministry order in certain circumstances such as death or bankruptcy and recover costs of any action taken on the well.
- To support Ontario’s rapid infrastructure and housing development needs, the province is proposing to amend the Surveyors Act to enhance the vital role land surveyors play in the province’s development and growth and help attract more surveyors to the profession to support their key role in helping ensure access to safe and affordable housing options.
While some sections of the bill are less pertinent to the Muskoka region than others, updates to the Forest Fire Prevention Act should be of particular interest to local residents.
“Times are changing and so is the risk presented by forest fires,” said Smith. “Muskoka Parry Sound is subject to the potential for those fires and we want to mitigate those risks. From a local perspective, that section of the bill really stands out.”
The Forest Fires Prevention Act has not received significant updates since 1999. These amendments will enable the use of more modern enforcement tools, says Smith.
During the 2024 wildland fire season, which runs from April to October, there were 480 fires, and 89,841 hectares of forests were burned.
Smith says changes to the Surveyors Act, which has not substantially changed since 1987, will allow companies to leverage technology and other modern business practices to deliver services.
As part of this legislation, the Ontario government is also proposing a new act that would support innovation and help manage emissions. The Geologic Carbon Storage Act, if passed, would enable the regulation of commercial-scale geologic carbon storage which involves injecting captured CO2 that would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere and injecting it into deep underground rock formations for permanent storage. This advanced technology would help energy-intensive industries reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 5 to 7 million tonnes per year, create upwards of 4,000 short-term jobs, and reduce the price Ontario industries pay on carbon by close to $1 billion a year while ensuring public safety.
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