Statutes and regulations
The following are the laws, regulations and normative acts vested in the Minister and Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques. The full texts are available on the LégisQuébec website. The texts are updated monthly and have official status. To find out about changes that are not yet online, consult the Gazette officielle du Québec.
The regulations enacted under various laws are listed in numerical order.
- Regulation respecting activities in wetlands, bodies of water and sensitive areas
- Regulation respecting wood-burning appliances
- Regulation respecting oil-fired heating appliances
- Regulation respecting the application of section 32 of the Environment Quality Act
Replaced by the Regulation respecting the regulatory scheme applying to activities on the basis of their environmental impact. The provisions of Chapter III of the Regulation respecting the application of section 32 of the Environment Quality Act relating to 5-year waterworks and sewer plans remain however applicable for the remaining duration of authorizations granted on the basis of these plans.
- Regulation respecting private waterworks and sewer services
- Clean Air Regulation
- Regulation respecting the framework for authorization of certain projects to transfer water out of the St. Lawrence River Basin
- Regulation respecting pits and quarries
- Design code of a storm water management system eligible for a declaration of compliance
- Regulation respecting compensation for adverse effects on wetlands and bodies of water
- Regulation respecting compensation for municipal services provided to recover and reclaim residual materials
This regulations will be abrogated on December 31, 2024 per Chapter 5 of the 2021 Statutes of Québec (Bill 65).
- Regulation respecting biomedical waste
- Regulation respecting solid waste
Replaced by the Regulation respecting the landfilling and incineration of residual materials. However, it continues to apply to the extent provided for in sections 156 to 168 of this regulation.
- Regulation respecting the declaration of water withdrawals
- Regulation respecting mandatory reporting of certain emissions of contaminants into the atmosphere
- Determination of annual caps on greenhouse gas emission units relating to the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances for the 2013-2020 period
Note that the government decree is available on the LégisQuébec website under the reference Q-2, r.15.2. - Determination of annual caps on greenhouse gas emission units relating to the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances for the 2021-2030 period
Note that the government decree is available on the LégisQuébec website under the reference Q-2, r.15.3. - Regulation respecting the liquid effluents of petroleum refineries
- Regulation respecting greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles
- Regulation respecting the regulatory scheme applying to activities on the basis of their environmental impact
- Regulation respecting the burial of contaminated soils
- Regulation respecting the landfilling and incineration of residual materials
- Regulation respecting used tire storage
- Regulation respecting waste water disposal systems for isolated dwellings
Enforcement of this regulation is the responsibility of the municipalities. - Regulation respecting the environmental impact assessment and review of certain projects
- Regulation respecting the environmental impact assessment and review applicable to a part of the northeastern Québec region
- Regulation respecting the environmental and social impact assessment and review procedure applicable to the territory of James Bay and Northern Québec
- Agricultural Operations Regulation
- Regulation respecting the operation of industrial establishments
- Regulation respecting pulp and paper mills
- Regulation respecting the fees payable with respect to the environmental authorization scheme and other fees
- Regulation respecting financial guarantees payable for the operation of a residual organic materials reclamation facility
- Snow, road salt and abrasives management Regulation
- Regulation respecting halocarbons
- Regulation to prohibit the sale of certain dishwashing detergents
- Regulation respecting hazardous materials
- Regulation respecting environmental standards for heavy vehicles
- Regulation respecting certain bodies for the protection of the environment and social milieu of the territory of James Bay and Northern Québec
- Regulation respecting municipal wastewater treatment works
- Policy for the protection of lakeshores, riverbanks, littoral zones and floodplains
- Québec residual materials management policy
- Water Withdrawal and Protection Regulation
- Regulation respecting the procedure for selecting persons qualified for appointment as members of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement
- Regulation respecting halocarbon destruction projects eligible for the issuance of offset credits
- Regulation respecting landfill methane reclamation and destruction projects eligible for the issuance of offset credits
- Regulation respecting the protection of waters from pleasure craft discharges
Enforcement of this regulation is the responsibility of the municipalities mentioned in the schedules of the regulation. - Land Protection and Rehabilitation Regulation
- Regulation respecting the quality of the atmosphere
- Regulation respecting the water quality of pools and other artificial reservoirs
- Regulation respecting the quality of drinking water
- Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of products by enterprises
- Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of discarded paint containers and paints
This regulation has been abrogated, but continues to apply per Section 57 of the Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of products by enterprises.
- Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of used oils, oil or fluid containers and used filters
This regulation has been abrogated, but continues to apply per Section 57 of the Regulation respecting the recovery and reclamation of products by enterprises.
- Regulation respecting the charges payable for the use of water
- Regulation respecting the charges payable for the disposal of residual materials
- Regulation respecting the reuse of water containers with a capacity exceeding 8 litres
- Regulation respecting contaminated soil storage and contaminated soil transfer stations
- Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances
- Regulation respecting the rate to determine the costs of sampling, analysis, inspection or investigation included in the costs of civil or penal proceedings instituted for the purposes of the Environment Quality Act
- Regulation respecting the traceability of excavated contaminated soils
In force : November 1st, 2021 - Regulation respecting hot mix asphalt plants
- Regulation respecting the reclamation of residual materials
- Regulation respecting road vehicles used for the transportation of school children
Specifically, provisions added by Order-in-Council 1060-2021
- Regulation respecting the application of the Act to increase the number of zero-emission motor vehicles in Québec in order to reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions
- Regulation respecting the limit on the number of credits that may be used by a motor vehicle manufacturer and the confidentiality of some information
Natural Heritage Conservation Act
Several protected areas have been established under this act and a specific regime of activities is applicable within their boundaries. Some of these protected areas have been established on a provisional basis and others on a permanent basis. In all instances, the applicable regime of activities is provided for by the act, by regulation and, depending on the individual case, by a conservation plan published in the Gazette officielle du Québec.
The ecological reserves are listed on the Ministère’s website. They are governed by regulations available on the LégisQuébec website, under the official references C-61.01, r.2 to C-61.01, r.71. The aquatic reserves
and biodiversity reserves
are likewise listed on the Ministère’s website. Some are governed by regulations available on the LégisQuébec website, under the official references C-61.01, r.72 to C-61.01, r.76. Others are governed instead by the conservation plans associated with them. These plans are also available on the Ministère’s website.
The document entitled “Régime d’activités dans les réserves de biodiversité et les réserves aquatiques” (Regulations Governing Activities in Biodiversity and Aquatic Reserves ) provides a summary of the regime of activities that is generally applicable on reserve lands.
Sustainable Development Act
For the implementation of sustainable development within the Administration, consult the Government Sustainable Development Strategy.
An Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species
- Regulation respecting the disposal of things seized
- Regulation respecting threatened or vulnerable wildlife species and their habitats
- Regulation respecting threatened or vulnerable plant species and their habitat
- List of plant and wildlife species which are likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable
An Act respecting compensation measures for the carrying out of projects affecting wetlands or bodies of water
Section 2 of this act is no longer in force as of June 16, 2017, pursuant to section 5 of this act as amended by chapter 6 of the Statutes of Québec 2017.
An Act respecting the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs
- Pesticides Management Code
- Regulation respecting permits and certificates for the sale and use of pesticides
An Act respecting the artificial inducement of rain
Watercourses Act
Except for Section 3 and Division VIII, which are currently under the responsibility of the MERN
Dam Safety Act
Paragraph 4 of section 19 is not in force.
An Act respecting the Société québécoise de récupération et de recyclage
An Act respecting the sale and distribution of beer and soft drinks in non-returnable containers
This act will be revoked at a fixed date by a government order in council in accordance with sections 13 and 23 of the chapter 5 of the Statutes of Québec.
The Cree Villages and the Naskapi Village Act
(section 21 only)
An Act respecting the acceleration of certain infrastructure projects
Specifically the following sections: 12 to 14, 20 to 57, 68 to 70, 72, 79 to 83.
An Act to impose restrictions on pig farming
This act is no longer in force as of June 16, 2002, except with regard to processing applications that were pending on June 15, 2002, for certificates of authorization for projects subject to this act.
Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water (French)
An Act to amend the Environment Quality Act to modernize the environmental authorization scheme and to amend other legislative provisions, in particular to reform the governance of the Green Fund
The new section 118.5 of the Environment Quality Act , replaced by section 188 of chapter 4 of the statues of 2017
, is not in force and will only come into force on the date set by government decree. Until then, sections 297 and 298 of chapter 4 of the statutes of 2017 specify the terms and conditions since March 23, 2017 for having access to documents and information contained in the future register.
Minister of Environment and the Fight against Climate Change and Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (French)
Order-in-Council appointing the new minister and amending the name of the Ministère. This Order-in-Council replaces Order-in-Council 1280-2018 of October 18, 2018.
Last update: January 28, 2022