Across Canada and the United States, March 5-11 is recognized as National Groundwater Awareness Week (see NGWA). Groundwater protection is one of the most important aspects to any environmental protection program. Once impacted, remediation of groundwater can be a significant challenge and expense. Once depleted, groundwater supply aquifers are forever damaged. For Ontarians, you need only mention “Walkerton” to recall the profound and long-lasting negative impact of...
Read More2016 Monthly Environmental Compliance Posts
December (2015) – Environmental Compliance Approval How do I know if the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) will require that I obtain an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for a discharge from my facility? The bar is pretty low for requiring an ECA in Ontario. According to the MOECC, “If a business’s activities impact the natural environment, that business needs an approval from the Ministry of the Environment (and Climate Change) to operate...
Read MoreMicrobead Regulations Published in Canada Gazette
One of the lessons you learn early if you are involved in the environmental compliance world is that just because something isn’t regulated today, doesn’t mean it won’t be regulated tomorrow. Over a year ago, we shared with you the forthcoming changes regarding microbeads in Canada, “Legislating Changes in Microbead Use in Canada.” Microbeads were once not only permissible, but were widely used in consumer products, such as facial scrubs and toothpastes. Now microbeads...
Read MoreRegulating Methane in Canada
With the COP 21 Paris Climate Change Conference as the backdrop, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to focus on the reduction of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. According to a report in the Globe and Mail, “The federal government will impose regulations to cut methane emissions in the oil and gas industry by as much as 45 per cent as part of a bilateral climate deal announced Thursday during Prime Minister...
Read More“Stuff” Happens: How to Avoid Environmental Outrage
Nearly 30 years ago, Environmental Risk-Communication Expert, Dr. Peter Sandman wrote, “If you make a list of environmental risks in order of how many people they kill each year, then list them again in order of how alarming they are to the general public, the two lists will be very different.” This is far from an apples-to-apples comparison (different time frame, different countries, subjective search terms, and different issues, to name a few), but they help illustrate...
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