Bulk water exports prohibited under new U.S.-Canada border regulations

OTTAWA – Stronger protection against bulk water exports from rivers and streams that cross the U.S.-Canada border was announced Thursday by the federal government.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon cited the depletion of water in the once mighty Rio Grande River that crosses the U.S.-Mexico border at a news conference announcing the bill he tabled in the House of Commons.

"That water basin is on the point of being completely dried up and that is what we want to be able to avoid here," he said at a news conference.

The bill would "plug the last remaining gap" in a ban against bulk water removal that is in place for the Great Lakes and other water that straddles the Canada-U.S. border and is covered by provincial law. The bill provides new powers of inspection and enforcement and fines of up to $6 million for corporate violations. The exception is to help forest fire fighting or other disasters in the United States.

"This important legislation makes it clear that we are not in the business of exporting our water," Cannon said. "Canadian water is not a commodity. It is not for sale."

The proposed new amendments to the Boundary and Transboundary Waters Protection Act "closes any gap that might be there by completing what provinces already do."

Cannon did not report any urgent situation or illegal attempts to divert or export water, but he cited the 885-kilometre Red River as an example of where protection would be extended. The Red River flows from North Dakota and Minnesota up to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, into the Nelson River and empties into the Hudson Bay.

The bill fulfils a promise the government made in the November 2008 speech from the throne.

"Canada’s fresh water is essential to the well-being of our nation," he said. "It is our livelihood, our lifeblood, and Canadians want this vital resource safeguarded. Quite simply, it belongs to Canadians and with this bill the government will ensure that it is protected and held in trust for generations of Canadians to come."