In what is being called “Investing in Jobs for Canada’s Middle Class,” sweeping regulatory changes were proposed last fall (November 2018) in Ottawa by the Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau. Proposed Changes by Minister of Finance As reported on CTV News, “Delivering his speech on the fall economic statement in the House of Commons, Morneau (Minister of Finance) cited global uncertainty tied to ongoing trade disputes and spoke directly to the pressure to match U.S....
Read MoreIt’s The Water, Stupid
Former U.S. President, William Jefferson Clinton, famously coined the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.” This phrase has been modified numerous times over the years, including “It’s the ecology, stupid” (Journal, Nature). The general premise of this phrase is focus on the fundamentals. With numerous issues involving water quality in Canada, as well as globally, it may be more appropriate to say that our (environmental) focus should be more narrow – our water. In fact,...
Read MoreThe MECP Issues Their Environmental Protection Plans
According to Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), the “Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generation, A Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan,” is a “…clean break from the status quo.” According to Mr. Phillips, “We understand the pressure Ontarians feel with rising costs of living as well as skyrocketing energy costs that have hurt our economy and our competitiveness. They are understandably frustrated to see their...
Read MoreOff-Site Contamination: Are you responsible for the cleanup?
Who pays for the assessment and remediation of contamination in Ontario, especially when that contamination has migrated off site? If you said it’s the responsible party, you are only partly right. Who pays and how to best protect yourself and your company has been a subject we have discussed several times in the past (see these blogs on environmental liability issues). Whether the responsible party, the existing owner, or tenants at the property pay (for example when...
Read MoreTwo Current Environmental Issues and Identifying the Source of Pollution
Environmental or legislative issues, and any level of approval they may enjoy, will vary based on geography, industry, and a variety of other factors. Cases in point, Bill C-69 and algal blooms. Officially, Bill C-69 goes by the not-so-short title, “An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.” Opposition to Bill C-69 Not everyone is “a fan” of...
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...
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