The current Ontario Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) Program (2008) is scheduled to come to an end. Replacing it (July 1, 2021) will be the Hazardous and Special Products regulation (under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 [RRCEA]). Products Affected by the Regulation According to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, “We have finalized the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) regulation that will make producers of hazardous and special...
Read MoreCanadian Provincial Environmental Policies During COVID-19
There have been many policy changes during this COVID-19 pandemic. These changes affect many aspects of our personal and professional lives. As it relates to provincial environmental policies, there is a wide-range of responses. The summary below is very brief, and we suggest that you evaluate how changes in provincial policies may affect your environmental obligations. Ontario: The Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks announced changes under the...
Read MoreDo I Need to Register with the MECP’s Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR)?
It’s been almost two years since the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) finalized regulation requiring facilities with air, noise, and odour emissions to register with the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). This regulation, entitled Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 1/17 of the Environmental Protection Act, dated January 2017, applies to all Ontario facilities not explicitly excluded in the regulation. These excluded facilities, which are...
Read MoreCanadian Oil Refineries Focus of Articles
To say that our economy is dependent on “black gold” or fossil fuels is an understatement. The energy from fossil fuels, as well as the myriad of other natural resources, support our highly mobile, communicative, and knowledge-based economy. As we refine our various natural resources for “consumption,” there are environmental management considerations. While our consumer-based society certainly enjoys the end products (gasoline/diesel fuel, mobile phones, computers,...
Read MoreSoil and Groundwater Assessment in Ontario and an Updated Option for Site Closures
Buying and selling commercial/industrial property in Ontario will typically include some level of environmental site assessment. When this assessment identifies a contaminant above the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) Site Condition Standards, the solutions can get complicated, and expensive at times. An improved “tool” recently modified by the MOECC may be helpful at sites where “additional work” is required to complete the environmental...
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