In our last blog, I asked Dr. Michael Sklash questions relating to TCE – how it behaves in the environment, what to do if you had a release, etc… While Mike did not mention it in our interview, a great number of our projects (regardless of the contaminant) begin with a peer review of the existing work (investigation, remediation, etc). So, I asked Mike to share, based on his experience, the most common mistakes he has seen over the last 27 years when doing peer reviews....
Read MoreTCE Found in London, Ontario, Groundwater: What you need to know about TCE
On March 10th, CTV reported that elevated levels of trichloroethene (TCE) were found in groundwater along Brydges Street in London, Ontario. It is not currently known if there is any immediate health risk to the local community. As we understand, indoor air will be tested to assess the potential for vapour intrusion in homes (read more about vapour intrusion). The current London issue aside, TCE has been amongst the most common chemical contaminants in soil and...
Read MoreProtecting the Great Lakes – Will This Act Help?
It’s back. The “it” is the Great Lakes Protection Act, and, in February 2015, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change announced that the Act had been reintroduced. For those of you who have been following this issue, you know that the bill was first introduced in June 2012, but it didn’t get much traction. So what’s changed? And why is this legislation again being considered? If I were to speculate, based on recent environmental news stories, I would say that...
Read MoreWhat to do When You Discover a Leaking Underground Storage Tank?
You’ve just discovered that your underground storage tank (UST) and/or associated underground piping has been leaking petroleum products into the environment. The difference between this becoming an expensive nightmare and “just” a response activity may depend on your measured response. Certainly, you need to make sure you are doing everything you can to minimize your release and the subsequent impact to human health and the environment while maintaining compliance....
Read MoreKeystone XL Pipeline – Good for the Environment?
The recent train derailment in West Virginia that was, reportedly, carrying Bakken crude from North Dakota’s shale fields may very well put the Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline … and the politics thereof … back into the top of the news cycle. It was just last month The Globe and Mail reported that the current US Legislative “revolt” over the Keystone XL Pipeline is just a delay and that, “The revolt will likely be a temporary setback to the legislation.” In other...
Read MoreThis is Why You Choose Your Environmental Experts Carefully
In our August 29, 2014, blog, we outlined a favourable outcome in a case in which we were environmental experts. In the end, our client was awarded over $4.5 million. In this case, the environmental expert for the opposing side lacked a disciplined approach to understanding the environmental contaminants. In an environmental case and subsequent ruling in British Columbia (BC), lacking a disciplined approach was the least of the problems. Environmental Appeals Board Ruling...
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