Q-2 - Environment Quality Act

Section 1 Disposition versions

2022-05-12

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

“atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

“contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

“contaminant release” : any deposit, discharge, issue or emission of contaminants in or into the environment;

“elimination of residual material” : any operation for the final deposit or discharge of residual materials in or into the environment, in particular by dumping, storage or incineration, including operations to treat or transfer residual materials with a view to their elimination;

“energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

“environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

“field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

“hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

“material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

“Minister” : the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks;

“motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C‐24.2);

“municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

“person” : a natural person, legal person, trust, partnership, cooperative or any other group of persons;

“plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

“pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

“pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

“ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

“reclamation of residual materials” : any operation to obtain usable substances or products, or energy, from residual materials through re-use, recycling or biological treatment, including composting and biomethanation, land farming, regeneration or any other process that does not constitute elimination;

“residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

“soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

“source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the release of a contaminant into the environment;

“water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

In addition, in this Act, “activities” includes work, structures and works, unless the context indicates otherwise.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54; 2000, c. 56, s. 221; 2006, c. 3, s. 35; 2017, c. 4, s. 254; 2017, c. 4, s. 3; 2022, c. 8, s. 87.

2018-03-23

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

“atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

“contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

“contaminant release” : any deposit, discharge, issue or emission of contaminants in or into the environment;

“elimination of residual material” : any operation for the final deposit or discharge of residual materials in or into the environment, in particular by dumping, storage or incineration, including operations to treat or transfer residual materials with a view to their elimination;

“energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

“environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

“field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

“hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

“material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

“Minister” : the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks;

“motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C‐24.2);

“municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

“person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

“plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

“pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

“pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

“ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

“reclamation of residual materials” : any operation to obtain usable substances or products, or energy, from residual materials through re-use, recycling or biological treatment, including composting and biomethanation, land farming, regeneration or any other process that does not constitute elimination;

“residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

“soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

“source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the release of a contaminant into the environment;

“water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

In addition, in this Act, “activities” includes work, structures and works, unless the context indicates otherwise.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54; 2000, c. 56, s. 221; 2006, c. 3, s. 35; 2017, c. 4, s. 254; 2017, c. 4, s. 3.

2017-03-23

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

(12)  (paragraph replaced);

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C‐24.2);

(20)  (paragraph repealed);

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

(22)  (paragraph repealed).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54; 2000, c. 56, s. 221; 2006, c. 3, s. 35; 2017, c. 4, s. 254.

2006-04-19

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

(12)  (paragraph replaced);

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C‐24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

(22)  (paragraph repealed).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54; 2000, c. 56, s. 221; 2006, c. 3, s. 35.

2000-12-20

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

(12)  (paragraph replaced);

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

(22)  (paragraph repealed).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54; 2000, c. 56, s. 221.

2000-05-01

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “residual materials” : any residue resulting from a production, treatment or utilization process and any substance, material or product or, more generally, any object that is discarded or that the holder intends to discard;

(12)  (paragraph replaced);

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

(22)  (paragraph repealed).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158; 1999, c. 75, s. 1, s. 54.

1999-12-01

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues and hazardous materials;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

Not in force

(22)  “reclamation” : any operation the purpose of which is to obtain useful substances or products from materials or objects that are obsolete, discarded or otherwise disposed of, by recovery, re-use, recycling, composting, regeneration or by any other process.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239; 1999, c. 36, s. 158.

1999-10-22

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : a natural person, partnership, cooperative or a legal person other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues and hazardous materials;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment and Wildlife;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

Not in force

(22)  “reclamation” : any operation the purpose of which is to obtain useful substances or products from materials or objects that are obsolete, discarded or otherwise disposed of, by recovery, re-use, recycling, composting, regeneration or by any other process.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1999, c. 40, s. 239.

1997-12-01

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues and hazardous materials;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment and Wildlife;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

Not in force

(22)  “reclamation” : any operation the purpose of which is to obtain useful substances or products from materials or objects that are obsolete, discarded or otherwise disposed of, by recovery, re-use, recycling, composting, regeneration or by any other process.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827; 1991, c. 80, s. 1.

1996-05-08

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipality, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment and Wildlife;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material;

Not in force

(22)  “reclamation” : any operation the purpose of which is to obtain useful substances or products from materials or objects that are obsolete, discarded or otherwise disposed of, by recovery, re-use, recycling, composting, regeneration or by any other process.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58; 1994, c. 41, s. 1; 1996, c. 2, s. 827.

1994-06-17

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an Act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment and Wildlife;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1; 1994, c. 17, s. 58.

1993-06-09

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an Act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations;

(21)  “hazardous material” : a material which, by reason of its properties, is a hazard to health or to the environment and which, within the meaning of a regulation under this Act, is explosive, gaseous, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, corrosive, oxidizing or leachable or is designated as a hazardous material, and any object classed by regulation as a hazardous material.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123; 1991, c. 80, s. 1.

1991-01-01

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an Act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté urbaine de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1; 1990, c. 85, s. 123.

1989-02-22

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, used tires, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655; 1988, c. 49, s. 1.

1987-06-29

1. In this Act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of the Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2);

Not in force

(20)  “tailings” means rejected mineral substances, sludge and water, except the final effluent, from extraction operations and ore treatment, and slag from pyrometallurgy operations.

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74; 1987, c. 25, s. 1; 1986, c. 91, s. 655.

1985-06-20

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid, liquid or gaseous residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.1).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1; 1985, c. 30, s. 74.

1984-06-20

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment, recycling and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.1).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315; 1984, c. 29, s. 1.

1983-12-21

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.1).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1; 1982, c. 26, s. 315.

1982-06-23

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government, or whose presence in the environment is prohibited by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative association or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.1).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536; 1982, c. 25, s. 1.

1982-01-01

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative association or a corporation other than a municipality;

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of section 1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.1).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11; 1981, c. 7, s. 536.

1979-12-21

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Government;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative association or a corporation other than a municipality:

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec, the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais, as well as an intermunicipal management board;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of paragraph 1 of section 1 of the Highway Code (chapter C-24).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23; 1979, c. 83, s. 11.

1979-11-28

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space even if submerged in water, including an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Gouvernement;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative association or a corporation other than a municipality:

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation constituted by or under an act of the Legislature, as well as the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec and the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister of Environment;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of paragraph 1 of section 1 of the Highway Code (chapter C-24).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 23.

1977-12-31

1. In this act, unless the context indicates a different meaning, the following words and expressions mean or designate:

(1)  “water” : surface water and underground water wherever located;

(2)  “atmosphere” : the ambient air surrounding the earth, excluding the air within any structure or underground space;

(3)  “soil” : any land or underground space not submerged in water, excluding an area of land covered by a structure;

(4)  “environment” : the water, atmosphere and soil or a combination of any of them or, generally, the ambient milieu with which living species have dynamic relations;

(5)  “contaminant” : a solid, liquid or gaseous matter, a microorganism, a sound, a vibration, rays, heat, an odour, a radiation or a combination of any of them likely to alter the quality of the environment in any way;

(6)  “pollutant” : a contaminant or a mixture of several contaminants present in the environment in a concentration or quantity greater than the permissible level determined by regulation of the Gouvernement;

(7)  “pollution” : the condition of the environment when a a pollutant is present;

(8)  “source of contamination” : any activity or condition causing the emission of a contaminant into the environment;

(9)  “person” : an individual, partnership, cooperative association or a corporation other than a municipality:

(10)  “municipality” : any municipal corporation consituted by or under an act of the Legislature, as well as the Communauté urbaine de Montréal, the Communauté urbaine de Québec and the Communauté régionale de l’Outaouais;

(11)  “waste” : solid or liquid residue from industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, rubbish, household garbage, used lubricant, demolition debris, pathological waste material, bodies of animals, motor vehicle wrecks, radioactive waste material, empty containers and waste material of any kind other than mining residues;

(12)  “waste management system” : a combination of administrative and technical operations ensuring a rational method of removal, transport, storage, treatment and final deposit of waste and the moveable and immoveable property set aside for such purposes;

(13)  “ray” : any transmission of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves with or without production of ions when they pass through matter;

(14)  “material wave” : a line or surface propagated by shock or vibration of gaseous, liquid or solid matter including infrasounds (0 to 16 Hertz), sounds (16Hz to 16KHz) including shock waves, ultrasounds (16KHz to MHz), and any mechanical oscillation;

(15)  “field” : any zone of influence or area of space where a specified phenomenon is present;

(16)  “plasma” : a state of matter characterized by disorganization of atoms at a very high temperature and which may exhibit a particular behaviour in an electric or magnetic field;

(17)  “energy vector” : any source, material or electromagnetic wave, field, plasma, pressure and any direct or indirect cause of transfer, storage or liberation of energy;

(18)  “Minister” : the Minister designated by the Gouvernement in accordance with section 125;

(19)  “motor vehicle” : any motor vehicle within the meaning of paragraph 1 of section 1 of the Highway Code (chapter C-24).

1972, c. 49, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14.