In our blog on October 30th, “Enforcement of Environmental Laws in Canada,” we discussed what appears to be an increased cost of not complying with environmental laws across Canada. As we said then, environmental protection laws and the penalties associated with non-compliance are constantly changing. And, indeed, more (proposed) changes are upon us. Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019 Bill 132, Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019 (Posted...
Read MoreEnforcement of Environmental Laws in Canada
It was about ten months ago in our first blog of 2019 that we shared news of two environmental fines: A pulp and paper company was ordered to pay $3.5 million for violations of the Fisheries Act. A seafood company was fined $115,000 for contravening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. It was just the next month in our February 28th blog where we again shared more enforcement news: Syncrude paid $3 million for violating the Migratory Birds Act, and Green For Life...
Read MoreA Fine From a Release, A “Scary” Release, and Potential Regulation of Releases
If you are in charge of environmental management, then no one needs to tell you that it can be complex and even frustrating. It requires knowing which regulations apply to your facilities, training your employees so they don’t unknowingly violate the regulations, and keeping a watchful eye on developing regulations. The three updates below provide us with a reminder of why environmental managers must not only develop and implement good internal policies, but why they also...
Read MoreFinding Solutions to Pervasive Environmental Contamination Issues
By nearly every measure, Canadians today live, work, and play in a cleaner and safer environment than in past generations. From required environmental permitting and limiting various discharges to assessing and tracking chemical use and the growth of less-toxic alternatives for personal products and manufacturing processes…we have made tremendous progress. But, and you knew a “but” was coming, there are still no shortages of issues that require our attention. Age-Old...
Read MoreRecent Environmental Problems and Using a “Multitude of Counsel” to Avoid Future Problems
The law of unintended consequences says actions of people, and especially of government, always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended. This may aptly describe the first of two recent environmental-related news stories below. These unintended consequences can, at times, be avoided, or at least limited, by careful planning and by full consideration in the multitude of counsel. At a minimum, we are reminded to thoroughly consider that next project before moving...
Read MorePer- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances: What We Know and Don’t Know
If you do a Google search (on google.ca) for PFAS, in about a half a second, you’ll have more than 60 million hits. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are potentially an important issue for human health, the environment, and the regulated community. What exactly are PFAS? Should you be concerned about them? PFAS have been linked to a variety of health effects from developmental issues to cancer. They are also persistent and can bioaccumulate (build up in the...
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