Environment Quality Act (R.S.Q., c. Q-2).

The present Act lays down provisions pertaining to the quality of the environment, At the outset the Act contains a definition clause relating to various terms therein employed, such as “water”, “soil”, “atmosphere”, “environment”, “pollution”, “source of contamination”. Section 2 deals with the functions of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. For example, he may coordinate research carried out by Government departments and bodies on the problems of the quality of the environment; prepare plans and programmes for the conservation, protection and management of the environment and emergency plans to fight any form of contamination or destruction of the environment and, with the authorization of the Government, see to the carrying out of those plans and programmes; acquire, make, instal and operate in any part of the territory of Québec, all apparatus necessary for the supervision of the quality of the environment and implement any experimental project respecting the quality of water, the management of waste water or residual materials and, for such purposes, acquire by agreement or expropriation any necessary servitude or immovable. Moreover, it shall be the responsibility of the Minister to elaborate and propose to the Government a protection policy for lakeshores, riverbanks, littoral zones and floodplains, to implement such policy and to coordinate its application. Moreover, A body called the “Bureau” is established under the name of “Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement”.