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Canadian 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, flat-screen, high-definition televisions, medical advancements, clothing,...
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 Vakili, who joined Dragun in December 2017, talked about one of the...
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 Project involves the cleanup of historic (sic) low-level radioactive waste...
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 former (Harper) administration. These changes are set out in Bill 69,...
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 Alberta. However, it is being watched by the Canadian environmental...
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 Environmental Violation A Ruthven, Ontario, food manufacturing company was fined...
read moreSoil and Groundwater Assessment in Ontario and an Updated Option for Site Closures
Buying and selling commercial/industrial property in Ontario will typically include some level of environmental site assessment. When this assessment identifies a contaminant above the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) Site Condition Standards, the solutions can get complicated, and expensive at times. An improved “tool” recently modified by the MOECC may be helpful at sites where “additional work” is required to complete the environmental assessment. Ontario Brownfields and Other “Impacted” Sites First, some...
read morePotential Changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
In 2017, we saw several changes to environmental protection at the provincial level. Just last month, we discussed some of the changes at the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Last fall, we shared the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s report with their suggested changes. However, change isn’t confined to the province. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) may also be undergoing changes of its own. Reporting under CEPA includes the annual reporting for National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and...
read moreReorganization at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
On January 12th, we shared the report from the Office of Auditor General of Ontario that stated the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) environmental approval program was, “…not effectively managing the risks to the environment and human health from polluting activities.” In that same report, there were several recommendation made to the MOECC. Last month we shared the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s Report in which additional recommendations were offered to the MOECC. Did these reports have any influence on the...
read morePFAS: An Emerging Environmental Contaminant
It was about a year ago when we mentioned the emerging regulatory concern related to a particular class of persistent organic chemicals: Polybrominated Diphenyl Esters (PBDEs) (see PBDE: An Emerging Environmental Regulatory Concern?). There is another group of persistent organic chemicals that have been making news, not just in Canada, but across North America and elsewhere. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that includes Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). Public health and...
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