Last year, my colleagues “set out” to compile vapour intrusion (VI) standards in each Canadian Province, as well as in each US State. This effort, we soon found out, was not as easy as we had envisioned. More on these findings later. Understanding Vapour Intrusion Let’s begin by establishing the VI framework. Vapour intrusion is a process by which chemicals from soil and groundwater volatilize and migrate into buildings. These underlying vapours can find their way into...
Read MoreInsurance Companies Targeted by Environmentalists
For 30 years, Dragun has provided litigation support on a variety of environmental issues, so we always keep an eye on what is happening with potential environmental litigation activity. Environmental Groups have long targeted various industries or industry groups for their perceived violations of the public trust, specifically the environment. Historical Environmental Issues Early grass root efforts focused on mismanagement of waste by-products that led to the...
Read MoreEnvironmental Issues Most Important to You
What’s the most important environmental issue to you? This is the question we have asked the last two years while attending the CANECT Environmental Compliance and Due Diligence Training Conference in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Just as last year, the entire survey consisted of one question: “What is the most important environmental issue facing the regulated community in Ontario or Canada wide?” We offered no explanation beyond this. We spoke with people from a wide...
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 MoreSolving Groundwater Contamination: Another Piece of the Puzzle
In explaining how you go about solving complex soil and groundwater problems, we’ve used various analogies over the years, including putting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and assembling building blocks to develop a robust conceptual site model. The point being, soil and groundwater assessment and remediation can be complex, and in order to find the best solution, you will often need more than one tool and/or one discipline to get you to your end point. Dr. Fatemeh...
Read MorePort Hope, Ontario, Cleanup and New Concerns
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...
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