Bike Lanes and the DCA
Why don’t our municipalities have better environmental infrastructure? One answer is: the Development Charges Act (DCA)! While cycling recently with one Ontario mayor, I asked why his fast-growing municipality did so little to encourage bicycle commuting. He knows that cycling is a great way…
View the post titled Bike Lanes and the DCAGreat Results for Clients This Summer
We’ve had an extraordinary few months, bringing eight long-running matters to a successful conclusion. As plaintiffs’ counsel, we settled several contaminated land lawsuits since May, obtaining millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. These amounts were up to twice wh…
View the post titled Great Results for Clients This SummerSWSSA, where are you?
One of the key promises the Ontario government wanted to keep before this election was to implement all of the recommendations of the Walkerton Inquiry. And, indeed, the government now proudly announces that it has done just that. However, there has been no progress on one of the statutes th…
View the post titled SWSSA, where are you?Remember Punch Cards?
Thirty years ago, computer geeks programmed and stored all data with punch cards. Many of those cards were printed in rented facilities on Commander Boulevard, Toronto, a street already famous for setting pollution precedents. As it turns out, the coloured stripe across the top of the cards …
View the post titled Remember Punch Cards?Election Promises
With the provincial election in full swing, all parties are making environmental promises. The reigning Liberals are promising to: • Create a tough new toxic reduction law • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 1990 levels by 2014, 15% below by 2020 and 80% by 2050, e.g. by – Co…
View the post titled Election PromisesTorrey Canyon – We do learn from some mistakes
Forty years ago, one of the largest maritime pollution disasters occurred: the wreck of the Torrey Canyon, the first big maritime oil spill. In response to this catastrophe, the oil tanker industry improved standards and set up a cooperative response system called the International Tanker Ow…
View the post titled Torrey Canyon – We do learn from some mistakesThey put a Subdivision Where?
A Newfoundland case has sent a discouraging warning to major industries across the country. City Sand and Gravel Limited operated a quarry in St. John’s. Because of the regular blasting, the Department of Mines and Energy required a buffer zone of 300 meters between the quarry and resi…
View the post titled They put a Subdivision Where?Pesticide ban
According to news reports, Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals will promise next week to introduce a province-wide ban of household cosmetic pesticides, if they are re-elected in October. Following two precedent-setting court cases, numerous municipalities, including Toronto and London, have al…
View the post titled Pesticide banMoney for Brownfields
Until September 19, 2007, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is accepting applications from municipalities for low-interest loans to fund brownfield remediation projects. The projects must result in conservation of heritage buildings or construction of new …
View the post titled Money for BrownfieldsMore Codes of Practice for Environmental Assessment
The Ministry of the Environment has proposed two new Codes of Practice for Ontario’s environmental assessment process: Preparing and Reviewing Environmental Assessments and Class Environmental Assessments. Comments may be made between August 17, 2007 and October 16, 2007. The Code of Practic…
View the post titled More Codes of Practice for Environmental AssessmentReceive Blog Posts
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