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CIELAP releases study of privatization of public safety regulation in Ontario
June 01, 2000

The Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy today released a new report on the impacts of the privatization of public safety regulation in Ontario.

Responsibility for ensuring the safety of Ontarians in relation to such things as elevators, amusement rides and gasoline storage tanks at gas stations was transferred from the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations to a private corporation called the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) in May 1997. A majority of the Corporation's board of directors is drawn from the regulated industries.

The report raises a number of serious concerns regarding the design of the TSSA model, and the accountability framework which was put in place for it and the other delegated administrative authorities created in Ontario through the 1996 Safety and Consumers Standards Amendment Act (SCSAA). In particular the report concludes that:

The report makes detailed recommendations regarding the means through which these and other concerns raised in the report regarding the delegated administrative authority model might be addressed.

"The Walkerton disaster has highlighted the need to strengthen, not weaken the accountability and oversight mechanisms when government functions related to the health and safety of Ontarians are transferred to the private sector" said Dr. Mark Winfield, the Institute's Director of Research and principle author of the report.

"We hope that the government will recognize the need to act promptly on the recommendations contained in our study" concluded Anne Mitchell, the Institute's Executive Director.

Copies of the report can be downloaded from the CIELAP website or by contacting the Institute at (416)-923-3529


For more information contact:
Anne Mitchell
Executive Director
(416)-923-3529


The Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy has for been commenting on and monitoring policy and regulatory changes related to the environment for 30 years.