Photo: Flickr.com/.JohnW

ST. JOHN’S – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network (NLEN) and Northeast Avalon Atlantic Coastal Action Program (NAACAP) applaud recent news that St. John’s City Council, upon motion by Councillor Sheilagh O’Leary, voted to re-activate its Environmental Advisory Committee.

The City’s Development Regulations (section 4.1.1) state that Council shall appoint an Environmental Advisory Committee, including citizen representatives, who shall advise Council on development within waterways and wetlands, report to Council on the state of the environment in the City, and advise Council on other matters. The City has not had an Environmental Advisory Committee in place, however, for more than a decade.

“We applaud the City for this important step to re-instate its Environmental Advisory Committee,” stated Chris Hogan of the NLEN. “Having a committee comprised of volunteer stakeholders, brings environmental perspectives to the City’s governance and will improve the long-term sustainability and health of our community.”

“The City has made progress on a number of environmental problems in recent years, including construction of a sewage treatment plant, the introduction of curb-side recycling, and the creation of a network of cycling lanes, to reference a few.” stated Kathleen Parewick, Chair of NAACAP. “Yet, with an expanding population and increased demands on City services, we still face a number of challenges, including the continual loss of wetland and forest habitat to development, and rising green-house gas emissions.”

Additional information: 

St. John’s Development Regulations (Section 4.1): Environmental Advisory Committee

For further information contact: