Dragun’s Environmental Site Assessment and Remediation Webinars Available Here:
Toxics Reduction Act — Are You Compliant?
Prior to the deadlines for the Toxic Substance Reduction Plan (TSRP) under the Toxics Reduction Act, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) conducted a number of educational and outreach programs. These were done in order to “help ensure compliance with the act and regulation.” Now that the deadlines have passed, the MOE is focusing on activities to ensure facilities are in compliance. Wait – What is a TSRP? Essentially, a TSRP starts with a review of your inventory of reportable, toxic substances that you submitted to the MOE and the...
read moreSave Hundreds-of-Thousands of Dollars? No Trouble!
I remember when I first interviewed for my job in 1993 with Dr. James Dragun, I asked him how he responds when people ask, “Why should I hire your company?” Jim didn’t hesitate when he said, “It’s simple; I tell everyone the same thing – we get you out of trouble, we keep you out of trouble, and we don’t make trouble.” In the subsequent 21 years, I’ve seen my associates at Dragun “execute this philosophy” time and again, including the project outlined below that got our client out of trouble. The Client sells gasoline across Canada....
read moreEnvironmental Fine Approaches Seven Figures
Environmental Fines by Environment Canada According to Environment Canada there were some big environmental fines recently, “Plains Midstream has been ordered to pay $850,000 after pleading guilty to one count under the Fisheries Act and one count under provincial environmental legislation. The charges relate to the failure to notify authorities of a deposit of a deleterious substance into the Red Deer River, which is fish-bearing.” The violation dates back to 2012 when Environment Canada sent officers to a spill of crude oil in the Red Deer...
read moreEnvironmental Forensics: Putting Together the Puzzle Pieces
While there is no cost to attend our September 25th seminar on Environmental Forensics in London, ON, you will have to invest a few hours of your time to attend. So, should you attend? To help you answer this, consider that as we explain how to solve the puzzle, we will also share with you actual examples (mini case studies) where we solved problems others could not! In one case study, solving the puzzle helped our client avoid cleaning up groundwater contamination that was not their responsibility and had stymied other consultants. In...
read moreSoil and Groundwater Sampling – What Can Go Wrong?
Companies have been founded around the idea of providing consumers with dependable data. For example, when you want to buy a used car, you can purchase a report that is nothing more than historical data on the car . . . repairs, accidents, etc. Reports such as this are useful only if the data are accurate. In the environmental business, all projects depend on accurate data; in fact, all projects live and die based on the data! Accurate Environmental Data Needed for Sound Decisions If your data are not accurate and representative of actual...
read moreCanadian Retailer Awarded Millions for Contamination Caused by Neighbour
I believe it was American Poet, Walt Whitman, who said, “If you done it, it ain’t bragging.” While I don’t know if it amounts to bragging, a recent accomplishment by my colleagues that resulted in a very favourable outcome in an Ontario court case was at least very satisfying professionally. Here are the specifics: Source of Groundwater Contamination is Questioned A large Canadian retailer, and one of the most recognizable names in Canada, takes its Corporate Citizenship responsibilities seriously – committed to not only being a...
read moreIs Chemical in Household Products “Toxic”?
Triclosan in the News When chemicals such as Triclosan make the evening news, it usually means some group has been successful in gaining news coverage on what they perceive as a significant issue. So when the CBC reported last week about some group’s desire to ban triclosan, the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), and others who have focused their efforts on banning this chemical, had to feel a sense of accomplishment in gaining the news coverage. When the talk turns to banning chemicals, it also means that those who are using...
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