According to a report in the CBC, “An environmental watchdog says it has found ‘scientifically valid evidence’ that Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds are contaminating groundwater sources.” The group, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, did not elaborate on the specifics of this evidence in the CBC report, but the CBC report includes the 200-page report “Alberta Tailings Pond II.” One section of the report is “State of the Science in Environmental Chemical...
Read MoreEnvironmental Issues on Land and Sea
Environmental issues on land and sea were recently in the news. While releases to the surface are pretty familiar territory for most environmental professionals, environmental issues involving the seas are fairly rare, at least for us landlubbers. Disposal at Sea It may not be widely known that there are materials that may be legally disposed at sea, including: dredged material (e.g., from dredging operations in shipping channels), fish waste (common on the east coast),...
Read MoreWill This Make Hazardous Waste Reporting Easier in Ontario?
If you are among those who have expressed your displeasure about Ontario’s Hazardous Waste Information System, or HWIN, this may be good news. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is proposing to change this with a new “digital reporting service.” Hazardous Waste Reporting in Ontario The MECP has issued (June 19, 2020) a discussion paper, Modernizing Hazardous Waste Reporting in Ontario. In this document, they state, “We have heard that the current...
Read MoreU.S. Pipelines Shut Down: Will This Impact Canada?
Recent decisions in the United States (U.S.) regarding transporting petroleum via pipelines have again opened the debate on pipelines and their potential environmental impact. These decisions are also a reminder that legal and regulatory decisions in either country can affect their neighbours. Enbridge Line 5 For years, “Line 5” (owned by Enbridge and runs under the Straits of Mackinac) has been targeted by environmental groups as posing too great a risk to the Great...
Read MoreFederal Environmental Enforcement Concerns and Recent Enforcement
In an article in early January 2020 by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), they wrote, “As the New Year approaches there are numerous environmental issues that will continue to command the attention of litigators and legislators across Canada.” The article then lays out why it will be a busy year for environmental issues in Canada. In closing, they state, “For these and other reasons, 2020 is shaping up to be a busy (if not intriguing) year for...
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