This week, British Columbia took one more step forward in taking back the role of protecting our environment. Yesterday, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change tabled legislation that will set the table for fixing the professional reliance system.

The Professional Reliance Act will establish and staff a new Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance to ensure best practices moving forward. This announcement represents the first two recommendations put forward in June by an independent reviewer following a public consultation on professional reliance.

For the past 15 years, we have heard from you how industry-paid professionals have been increasingly used in monitoring, oversight and making decisions over major projects that impact our environment through the professional reliance system. At the same time, laws and regulations that protect our air, water and land have been gutted and positions in the public service slashed.

I am glad to see the provincial government move forward with important first steps to improve the professional reliance system. Where the rubber will really hit the road is in the over 100 additional recommendations also contained in the June report aimed at strengthening the laws and policies that protect our environment and tightening the regulatory framework that oversees the use of our natural riches.

We will be watching closely on how those recommendations get put in to practice.

Professional reliance didn't work for British Columbians. In 2014, the tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine collapsed, dumping 25 billion litres of waste into the Quesnel Lake, Polley Lake and Hazeltine Creek after government reorganization meant a drop in engineering inspections. And we found that professional reliance impacts our forests as the number of forest-industry inspections are now less than one-third of the number conducted before professional reliance. 

Many British Columbians simply couldn't trust industry to oversee the safety of our environment and public health- it was like the fox guarding the henhouse.

It's time for British Columbia to take back its leadership role. It's time to rebuild our public service and to make sure that our natural resources and environment are stewarded wisely for all of us.

In solidarity,
Stephanie Smith

We welcomed the news that the provincial government has introduced the Professional Reliance Act. You can read our media release here. 

In our submission to the government, we pushed for changes to environmental laws and brought the concerns of our members forward. You can read our submission here.