Water Matters Society of Alberta v. Director, Southern Region, Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Water

摘要

Environmental law - Statutory protection of environment - Approvals, licences and orders - Water - Miscellaneous - Alberta Environmental Appeals Board issued decision denying public interest standing to applicants in series of appeals which applicants wished to file - Applicants wished to appeal decision of Director of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development wherein he approved amendments to certain water licenses - Board determined that applicants were not directly affected by license amendments, and that it did not have jurisdiction to grant public interest standing - Applicants brought application for judicial review of decision of board - Application dismissed - Decision of board as to its jurisdiction to hear proposed appeals was correct - Applicants did not qualify as persons who may submit notice of appeal under s. 115(1)(c)(i) of Water Act - While courts had inherent jurisdiction, it was clear law that administrative tribunals did not - Their jurisdiction was solely derived from statute that provided that jurisdiction, and in this case, that statute was Water Act - Water Act did not provide them with any jurisdiction to grant public interest standing - Water Act did not grant board jurisdiction to hear public interest appeals - It could only hear appeals from parties directly affected by decisions of Director.