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Atlantic provinces due to submit carbon pricing plans to federal government

Sep. 2 is the deadline for the four Atlantic provinces to submit their plans to the federal government on how they will price carbon pollution.

The region’s four premiers wrote to federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Sep. 1 to request an extension of the deadline but the minister turned them down.

Although he didn’t grant an extension, Guilbeault said he remains committed to working with the region’s premiers over the next two weeks to address concerns over such things as home heating costs.

Ottawa says it will impose a federal carbon tax on provinces that do not submit a carbon-pricing plan it deems acceptable.

Nova Scotia submitted a plan in mid-August based on existing environmental goals that were set out in legislation last fall, but that was rejected by the federal minister, who said it didn’t set a new price for carbon.

The province has operated under a cap-and-trade program for large industrial emitters since 2019, but that is slated to expire at the end of this year.