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Environmental Groups Urge MLAs to Support Right to a Healthy Environment

Posted by Axel Hamdi
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MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2026

Environmental organizations across New Brunswick are urging Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick to support Bill 23: An Act Respecting the Right to a Healthy Environment when it is debated on March 26.

Between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick, will bring the bill forward for debate and a vote. Supporters say the legislation represents nearly two decades of work by health experts, legal advocates, and environmental groups seeking to ensure that New Brunswickers have the legal right to live in a clean and healthy environment.

Marg Milburn, spokesperson for the NB Environmental Rights Caucus, says the bill addresses a significant gap in provincial law.

“New Brunswickers currently do not have a legally recognized human right to a healthy environment,” said Milburn. “This legislation would help ensure that people have access to information about environmental decisions that affect their communities and that their concerns are heard before decisions are made.”

Milburn noted that environmental decisions can have direct impacts on public health, particularly for children, seniors, and people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

The United Nations has recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right. At the federal level, Canada’s Canadian Environmental Protection Act acknowledges the importance of considering human health in environmental protection. However, court decisions have left provinces responsible for ensuring that these protections apply to many resource development projects.

Advocates say the absence of strong environmental rights in New Brunswick has sometimes left communities feeling excluded from major decisions. For example, NB Power approved a gas-fired power plant and initially selected a site in the Scoudouc Industrial Park, later shifting the project to Centreville after environmental concerns emerged. Residents in both communities say they were not adequately informed or consulted before these decisions were made.

Bonnie Hamilton Bogart, a member of the Environmental Rights Caucus, says the bill is about protecting future generations.

“If the people of New Brunswick want to leave our children a legacy of hope, we must support this legislation,” she said. “A healthy environment is essential for healthy communities.”

Environmental advocates are encouraging residents to contact their MLAs and ask them to support Bill 23.

Submitted by:

The NB Environmental Rights Caucus of the New Brunswick Environmental Network:
  • Samuel Arnold – Sustainable Energy Group, Carleton County
  • Bonnie Hamilton Bogart – Voices for Sustainable Environments and Communities
  • Gordon Dalzell – Citizens Coalition for Clean Air
  • Denise Melanson – Council of Canadians, Kent County Chapter
  • Marg Milburn, Chair – The Climate Reality Project Canada
  • Saadia Hara – UNBSJ Medical Student
  • Alyse Wilton – NB Lung

Media Contacts
  • Marg Milburn, Chair, Fredericton
  • Denise Melanson, Kent County
  • Sam Arnold, Carleton County
  • Gordon Dalzell, Saint John

 © 2018 NBEN / RENB