While not quite to the level of the attention-getting $7.5 million fine that Cliffs Natural Resources had to pay last December for environmental violations, there have been a few environmental fines that are at least worth noting. Also, notice that these violations were not the result of any spectacular release of some exotic chemical; they are all fairly relatable types of substances. Recent Environmental Enforcement Action On June 5, 2015, an electronic company in...
Read MoreCanadian Government Changes Position on Asbestos
Asbestos, because of its superior insulating properties, has been widely used in hundreds (maybe thousands) of products, including: pipes, floor tiles, brake pads, and countless types of insulation. The properties of asbestos (heat and fire resistance) have been called life saving. However, it’s now common knowledge that breathing in asbestos fibers may cause serious illnesses (i.e., lung cancer, mesothelioma) that could be fatal. Surprisingly, until recently,...
Read MoreReal Solutions and Practical Application of Environmental Forensics
On Wednesday, August 5th, Dr. Michael Sklash, P. Eng. will be among a group of scientists, engineers, and lawyers speaking at the International Network on Environmental Forensics, which is part of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The conference will be held at Victoria College in Toronto. The title of Mike’s presentation is, “How would Albert Einstein do as a forensics expert? The Art of Effectively Communicating Complex Information.” Mike will be co-presenting with...
Read MoreShould Canadians be Concerned about Trends in US Environmental Regulations?
As a Canadian with 25 years of experience in the environmental business working both in Canada and United States, I “get” that our countries have very close ties. After all, we share a nearly 9,000-km border; the Windsor-Detroit border is the busiest, commercial-land, border crossing in North America. Thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement, we share the largest, free-trade region in the world. With all that Canada shares with the US, it’s not surprising that we...
Read MoreOntario Pesticide Regulation Begins July 1st
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) recently announced new regulations relating to neonicotinoids (or neonics) that will take effect July 1, 2015. According to the MOECC, “Ontario will be the first jurisdiction in North America to protect bees and other pollinators through new rules to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent by 2017.” The MOECC states that the new requirements will be put in...
Read MoreDid You Miss Your NPRI Reporting Deadline?
By the time we are posting this blog, your National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) reporting should have been completed and submitted for the year. These inventories are required (by federal law) to be reported each year on June 1st. Because there are still facilities that may be unaware of their reporting requirements, Environment Canada has made an effort to find those non-reporting facilities to help get them get into compliance. Do You Need to Submit a NPRI Report?...
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