Virus Leads Canadian Provinces to Relax Array of Pollutant Rules

Canadian provinces have suspended monitoring and reporting pollutants, relaxed environmental audits and waived obligations to notify the public of ecological harms in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan have all amended environmental laws during the Covid-19 crisis with measures that vary in scope and the industries affected. The four provinces are home to the bulk of Canada’s petroleum, agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

Environmental groups have decried the emergency moves as dangerous to wildlife and humans, in particular those in Alberta and Ontario.

“If we don’t know about massive releases that might occur, we’re obviously going ...