NAFTA’s environmental watchdog, the Montreal-based Commission for Environmental Cooperation, has recommended that Canada be investigated to see whether the nation is adequately enforcing its environmental laws and protecting fish habitat. The recommendation stems from a 1996 complaint filed by the Alberta-based enviro group Friends of the Oldman River, which claimed that the Canadian government was too lax in allowing projects that affect fish habitat. The commission’s governing body, composed of environment ministers and leaders from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., will vote on the recommendation. The commission cannot dictate policy, but its findings are expected to be influential.
