Environmental violations and the subsequent penalties can take months or years to “settle.” When the violation is of federal environmental laws, there is the potential prospect of getting your name added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. According to the Government of Canada, “The registry includes convictions of corporations obtained through court proceedings. Court prosecutions are one of several enforcement measures that may be used when violations or potential...
Read MoreRedeveloping Brownfield Sites in Ontario
Which will work better for your new commercial development? A Brownfield or a Greenfield? A site with an “environmental history” obviously presents some complications, but if the location is right and the price is appealing, then the Brownfield Site may hold greater value. The old school of thought that suggested you dismiss out of hand, old industrial sites and focus only on Greenfields, may mean you are missing out on the ideal location. Thanks to the Records of Site...
Read MoreCanadian Companies Face Environmental Enforcement in Canada and the US
Environmental Enforcement stories tend to get attention. Sometimes it’s an indication of a trend or enforcement initiative, or it may be that a case has reached a conclusion. Regardless, they are usually interesting unless, of course, it hits too close to home. The two enforcement cases below couldn’t be more different. The first case was interesting because we have been following the ongoing enforcement at dry cleaners in Canada… the second because it crosses the border...
Read MoreEnvironmental Issues at Old Manufacturing Plant In Ontario
Addressing environmental issues at old manufacturing plants that have been shuttered can be a significant undertaking. The storage and use of chemicals and products used in decades past may have been perfectly legal and acceptable at the time. These same practices may now be both illegal and pose human health and environmental risks. Century-Old Manufacturing Plant is Potential Source of Contamination We were reminded of these risks again recently as the closed General...
Read MoreScientifically Valid Evidence of Oil Sand Tailings Contamination?
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 Forensics...
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),...
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