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The Environment, The Economy, Reporting Deadlines, and Delays
Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic is a challenge on many fronts, not the least of which are economic recovery and environmental protection. First, an important reminder on an upcoming deadline: the Environmental Emergency (E2) regulations. As we shared about a year ago, “In August 2019, the updated Environmental Emergency (E2 Regulations) will officially repeal and replace the existing Environmental Emergency Regulations.” We also said that the regulations affect about 3,000 facilities across Canada. At the time we are writing this blog,...
read moreBusinesses Start the Process of Recovery from COVID-19
Many people have commented on how quiet it was as we were in lockdown due to COVID-19. In some places, wildlife found once-busy urban environments now very appealing as traffic all but disappeared. The lack of cars, trucks, air traffic, and industrial activity did lend itself to peaceful evening walks and allowed us to, at least for the moment, forget about the tragic situation across the globe. Reopening the Economy We are now in the slow process of carefully and cautiously bringing the economy back into production. We have had...
read moreCanadian Provincial Environmental Policies During COVID-19
There have been many policy changes during this COVID-19 pandemic. These changes affect many aspects of our personal and professional lives. As it relates to provincial environmental policies, there is a wide-range of responses. The summary below is very brief, and we suggest that you evaluate how changes in provincial policies may affect your environmental obligations. Ontario: The Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks announced changes under the Environmental Bill of Rights. See “Temporary Exemptions Relating to...
read moreLingering Environmental Issues and Some Remediation Progress
While environmental headlines may tend to focus on the issue du jour (PFAS, plastics, microbeads, etc.), we still have plenty of older, unresolved environmental issues that require our attention. However, we have made some significant progress along the way. Old Sewer Systems There was another reminder about the problems we continue to have with infrastructure, specifically our aging sewers and outdated combined sewer overflows (CSOs). 24-Billion-Litre Spill over Four Years According to the CBC, “A new report says Hamilton doesn’t have to...
read moreMaintaining Your Environmental Obligations During Difficult Times
What are Canadians concerned about as we are dealing with COIVD-19? According to Statistics Canada, 84% of us are concerned about overloading the healthcare system and 54% are concerned about the health of a loved one. However, we are being proactive. 92% of us are washing our hands more frequently and 87% are maintaining social-distancing requirements. Environmental Obligations Remain If you are in charge of environmental compliance/management, you may have other concerns as well, including maintaining compliance. Based on our...
read moreFinancial Institutions Put Pressure on Environmental Programs
There are many environmental laws and regulations that apply to a variety of activities at companies. These laws may require filing for permits with local, provincial, or federal regulators. Laws and regulations apply to everyone. From local ordinances that may dictate the height of a fence on your property to speed limits on roads, we are required to be aware and comply with laws. Enforcement from Regulators We routinely report in our blogs about various environmental enforcement actions – some, likely most, are accidents or mishaps that...
read moreEnvironmental Preparations for Construction-Related Projects in Ontario
Much of the world seems to have come to a complete standstill. We all share a singular priority – stop the spread of COVID-19. For nearly everyone, this means there is no business as usual. Some are working at home, some are experiencing layoffs, and everyone has experienced drastic changes to every imaginable aspect of life. While we continue to work on projects, we do so with a great deal more caution to protect everyone from this pandemic. While we don’t know when life will return to some semblance of normalcy, we will continue to offer...
read moreEnvironmental Health and Safety Issues in the News
Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) issues have all been in the news of late. Dominating the health part of EHS is the Coronavirus, or COVID 19, which is currently a significant challenge for companies and governments worldwide. Infectious diseases aside, there were other EHS items in the news recently. Hydrogen Cyanide Release As recently reported in a couple of different publications, Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, had a release of hydrogen cyanide that affected employees and contractors at the plant. SOOTODAY reports,...
read moreProblems with Soil Dumping and Leachate Mismanaged
While there is a lot of press over big-pictures issues, including PFAS, climate change, and pollution from plastic waste, environmental management issues; however, are not nearly as lofty or newsworthy. Environmental management issues are likely to be far more pedestrian, like “What do we do with all this soil?” Dumping Soil and Debris in Open Lots One of those management issues that we talked about on numerous occasions is the soil and debris from construction activity (see Management of Excess Soils in Ontario: Official Changes Begin in...
read moreReleases Impacting Surface Waters in Canada
Releases to the subsurface (from underground storage tanks, pipelines, etc.) are far less visible to the public. Often these releases, which can lead to groundwater remediation, can go undetected for hours, days, weeks, or even years. Surface water releases, on the other hand, can be very visible and can quickly get the attention of Environmental Health and Safety professionals, regulators, and the public. There were several releases to surface water reported that did get attention. These releases remind us why it is important to have a...
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