15 (1) For the administration of this Act or the regulations, a provincial officer may, without a warrant or court order, at any reasonable time and with any reasonable assistance, make inspections, including, (a)  entering any part of the natural environment to ascertain the extent, if any, to which any material of any kind has impaired any waters, the causes of any impairment, and how any impairment may be prevented, eliminated or ameliorated and the waters and natural environment restored; (b)  entering any part of the natural environment to ascertain the quality or quantity of any waters; (c)  entering any place in or from which the provincial officer reasonably believes a material that may impair the quality of any waters is being, has been or may be discharged, (i)  into or in any waters, (ii)  onto any shore or bank of any waters, or (iii)  into any part of the natural environment; (c.1)  entering any place in which the provincial officer reasonably believes can be found anything that is governed or regulated under this Act or anything the dealing with which is governed or regulated under this Act; (d)  entering any place that the provincial officer reasonably believes is likely to contain documents related to, (i)  an activity or undertaking that is, or is required to be, the subject of a permit, licence, approval, requirement, direction, report, notice, agreement or order under this Act, (ii)  an activity or undertaking that is exempted by a regulation from any requirement to have a permit, licence or approval under this Act and that is regulated by the provisions of the regulation, or (iii)  the discharge of a material of any kind that may impair the quality or quantity of any waters; and (e)  entering any place that the provincial officer reasonably believes, (i)  is, or is required to be, subject to or referred to in a permit, licence, approval, requirement, direction, report, notice, agreement or order under this Act, or (ii)  is subject to or referred to in a regulation that provides for an exemption from any requirement to have a permit, licence or approval under this Act, where the regulation includes provisions that regulate the place.  1998, c. 35, s. 47; 2005, c. 12, s. 2 (4); 2009, c. 19, s. 70 (2). Same (2) During an inspection under subsection (1), the provincial officer may, (a)  make necessary excavations; (b)  require that any thing be operated, used or set in motion under conditions specified by the provincial officer; (c)  take samples for analysis; (d)  conduct tests or take measurements; (e)  examine, record or copy any document or data, in any form, by any method; (f)  record the condition of a place or the natural environment by means of photograph, video recording or other visual recording; (g)  require the production of any document or data, in any form, required to be kept under this Act and of any other document or data, in any form, related to the purposes of the inspection; (h)  remove from a place documents or data, in any form, produced under clause (g) for the purpose of making copies; and (i)  make reasonable inquiries of any person, orally or in writing.  1998, c. 35, s. 47. Limitation re photographs, recordings (3) A record made under clause (2) (f) must be made in a manner that does not intercept any private communication and that accords with reasonable expectations of privacy.  1998, c. 35, s. 47. Limitation re removal of documents, data (4) A provincial officer shall not remove documents or data under clause (2) (h) without giving a receipt for them and shall promptly return the documents or data to the person who produced them.  1998, c. 35, s. 47. Power to exclude persons (5) A provincial officer who exercises the power set out in clause (2) (i) may exclude from the questioning any person except counsel for the individual being questioned.  1998, c. 35, s. 47; 2009, c. 33, Sched. 15, s. 8 (2). Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y) 1998, c. 35, s. 47 - 01/02/1999 2005, c. 12, s. 2 (4)
- 13/06/2005 2007, c. 10, Sched. D, s. 2 (2) - 04/06/2007 2009, c. 19, s. 70 (2)
- 01/01/2010; 2009, c. 33, Sched. 15, s. 8 (2) - 15/12/2009