The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) wants your comments. Specifically, they want your comments (by November 8, 2016) regarding the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). Ontario’s EBR (1993) protects the environment by, “…ensuring that the public is informed, engaged, and consulted on matters of environmental significance.” The MOECC is reviewing components of the EBR and is seeking public feedback. Comments on the Environmental Bill of Rights Some...
Read MoreVapour Intrusion Update
Understanding the vapour intrusion (VI) pathway and exposure is still a relatively “young issue” in the environmental sciences. Not only is it new-ish, it is also loaded with potential pitfalls, liability, and controversy. One of the reasons that VI receives so much attention is because, unlike dermal exposure, for example, chemicals typically enter the bloodstream more easily through inhalation. Furthermore, the chemicals that are associated with VI (TCE, benzene) are...
Read MoreEnvironmental Violations and Fines in Ontario
While we haven’t gathered long-term data or plotted any trends as it relates to environmental enforcement in the Province of Ontario, there seems to be an uptick in enforcement news. The fines are not like we saw earlier this year following an explosion or at the seven-figure level that my colleagues in our US office have seen (see our July 13th blog for our US office); however, any environmental enforcement is “bad news” and can create some public relation challenges....
Read MoreAir Emission Standards: A New “First” in Canada
There is an undeniable environmental regulatory trend in Canada … that trend is an increased focus on air-quality issues. In May of this year, Ontario announced the implementation of the greenhouse gas Cap and Trade Program. This regulation has many companies considering whether they will be regulated beginning in January 2017 and if they need to register for cap and trade by November of this year. You may recall that it was about a year ago when Ontario’s Ministry of...
Read MoreDespite Calls for Change – GHG Cap and Trade is Here
The regulated community knew the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) regulation and associated Cap and Trade regulation were looming, but many hoped there would be more time, and even some moderation, in the regulations. Last fall, we discussed the developing regulatory issues as they relate to GHGs in Ontario (Ontario’s GHG Cap and Trade Program Takes Shape). We suggested then that this could be a “big deal” for the regulated community. In a May 12th letter from the Ontario Chamber of...
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