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...
Read MoreChanges to Canadian Federal Environmental Legislation
Just last week we mentioned developments on the federal level that the regulated community is monitoring (see Supreme Court of Canada Considers Environmental Liability Case). This isn’t the only federal legislative activity that is being considered and getting attention from many groups across Canada. The recent proposed legislation was “pledged” in the 2015 election campaign. Specifically, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is “undoing” several legislative changes from the...
Read MoreSupreme Court of Canada Considers Environmental Liability Case
Several years ago, my colleague and I wrote an article with respect to how the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) viewed environmental liability in an incident in Kawartha Lakes. We were certainly not the only one to express concern about this case. There is another environmental liability case that is getting plenty of attention. The case, which has been forwarded to the Supreme Court of Canada, is a relatively-small bankruptcy case in...
Read MoreEnvironmental Enforcement News Focused on Water Impairment
Environmental compliance is never a “done deal.” We must be diligent about ongoing obligations as well as potential and actual regulatory changes. The unfortunate consequence of non-compliance can, at times, lead to enforcement activity. And in the first couple of months of 2018, we have seen several enforcement cases (Provincial and Federal) reach a conclusion. Here is a look at some of the enforcement activity thus far in 2018. Discharge to Water Leads to...
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