What’s new with TAC’s Environment & Climate Change Council

Friday, November 17, 2023

This is one of several articles profiling the in-person Fall Technical Meetings of TAC’s six councils and their committees that took place September 22-24, 2023.

TAC’s Environment & Climate Change Council had 40 attendees at its fall meeting.

Guest presentations

The Council heard presentations from Dawn Irish on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Indigenous Relations Program, Bob McLean on initiatives of the Canadian Council of Invasive Species, Kenneth Olsen on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Road Salt Working Group, and Ethan Askey on Calgary’s three-year roadside naturalization project.

Committee updates

The Council received updates from its three committees.

The Climate Change Integrated Committee meeting attracted 18 attendees who discussed community evacuations, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, capital project financing, and emission reductions. They also received presentations on a framework for furthering low-carbon roads, and on adaptation and resiliency efforts to strengthen our transportation systems.

The Environmental Issues Committee and Environmental Legislation Committee held a joint meeting with 25 participants. The Committees heard from Environment and Climate Change Canada about new regulations on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on new codes of practice, and from Transport Canada on tackling underwater vessel noise impacts. Members also discussed contamination related to low volatile organic compound (VOC) road paint, treated lumber and PCBs.

Environment & Climate Change Council Executive

The Council’s new Executive includes:

  • Chair – Dawn Irish (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
  • Vice-Chair – Glen Furtado (Cement Association of Canada)
  • Past Chair – Shauna Lehmann (Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways)
  • Board Liaison – Lon LaClaire (City of Vancouver)
  • Chair, Climate Change Integrated Committee – Michael Touw (Town of Perth)
  • Chair, Environmental Issues Committee – Robin Taylor (Ausenco)
  • Chair, Environmental Legislation Committee – Melissa Rutherford (CBCL Limited)

Contact Craig Stackpole for more information on the Environment & Climate Change Council and its committees.

 

 

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