As progress is reported on Canada’s largest environmental cleanup at the site in Port Hope, Ontario, more questions are arising. Canada’s Largest Environmental Cleanup Some indication of the level of effort associated with this site is that there is a website devoted to the Port Hope Area Initiative, or PHAI. This massive project is complicated by the fact that the historical contamination affects many residents in the area. According to the website, “The Port Hope...
Read MoreChanges to Canadian Federal Environmental Legislation
Just last week we mentioned developments on the federal level that the regulated community is monitoring (see Supreme Court of Canada Considers Environmental Liability Case). This isn’t the only federal legislative activity that is being considered and getting attention from many groups across Canada. The recent proposed legislation was “pledged” in the 2015 election campaign. Specifically, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is “undoing” several legislative changes from the...
Read MoreEnvironmental Enforcement News Focused on Water Impairment
Environmental compliance is never a “done deal.” We must be diligent about ongoing obligations as well as potential and actual regulatory changes. The unfortunate consequence of non-compliance can, at times, lead to enforcement activity. And in the first couple of months of 2018, we have seen several enforcement cases (Provincial and Federal) reach a conclusion. Here is a look at some of the enforcement activity thus far in 2018. Discharge to Water Leads to...
Read MorePotential Changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
In 2017, we saw several changes to environmental protection at the provincial level. Just last month, we discussed some of the changes at the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Last fall, we shared the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s report with their suggested changes. However, change isn’t confined to the province. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) may also be undergoing changes of its own. Reporting under CEPA includes the...
Read MoreReorganization at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
On January 12th, we shared the report from the Office of Auditor General of Ontario that stated the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) environmental approval program was, “…not effectively managing the risks to the environment and human health from polluting activities.” In that same report, there were several recommendation made to the MOECC. Last month we shared the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s Report in which additional recommendations were...
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