The citizen submissions mechanism of the CEC enables the public to play a whistleblower role on matters of environmental law enforcement. Under Article 14 of the Agreement, any person or nongovernmental organization may submit to the Secretariat a claim alleging that a NAFTA partner is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law.

Edwards said, "The CEC Secretariat's decision is a welcome step towards ensuring that the U.S. government acts to protect the health of our waterways and at-risk mothers and children in the U.S. and Canada."