Investigation v. Inspection
An appeal court has confirmed it again: an inspection can continue while an investigation is underway, but investigators must be able to prove that they did not use any information from such an inspection. In R. v. Crown Cork and Seal, the Ministry of the Environment investigator met with a…
Continue reading the post titled Investigation v. InspectionOntario Moving Towards Ban on Cosmetic Use of Pesticides
Following the lead blazed by the City of Toronto and other municipalities, the Ontario government has promised to adopt “New legislation [to] ban the cosmetic use of pesticides in cities and towns.” Now, until February 17, 2008, it is seeking public comments on how the ban should work.…
Continue reading the post titled Ontario Moving Towards Ban on Cosmetic Use of PesticidesComputers in Law Offices: Good or Bad for the Environment?
How do computers affect the environmental footprint of law offices?It’s easy to add up the negatives. Computers and their peripherals (printers, modems, cables, hubs, etc.) have large resource demands, pollute indoor air and create hazardous waste. Computers chew up power, paper and ot…
Continue reading the post titled Computers in Law Offices: Good or Bad for the Environment?Province takes one step on Right to Dry
Last summer, media across the country reacted with astonishment to our articles revealing the bans on clotheslines in many subdivisions and condos (see July 26 07 blog). Ontario has the power, under its Energy Conservation Leadership Act to wipe out such clothesline restrictions, but didn…
Continue reading the post titled Province takes one step on Right to DryWhat will Ontario do with WEEE?
Each year, Canadians spend millions on the latest electronic devices: digital cameras, laptops, televisions. In 2007, the average home computer was 2.5 years old, down from 2.7 only a year before. A quarter of computer owners replace their machines every year. And then what? Canadians send t…
Continue reading the post titled What will Ontario do with WEEE?2007- Year in Review
Climate change, class actions, contaminated sites and water again dominated 2007 for environmental practitioners. The biggest international news was the increasing urgency of climate change. The release of the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change swept away any rema…
Continue reading the post titled 2007- Year in ReviewCommunity Right to Know Bylaw?
The City of Toronto has taken another step towards a Community Right to Know bylaw for toxic emissions. This would be the first such bylaw in Canada, and might beat the province to the punch on its promised new toxics law. 300 large facilities in Toronto already report their emissions throug…
Continue reading the post titled Community Right to Know Bylaw?Teck Cominco: Applying US Law to Canadians in Canada
On January 7, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Teck Cominco, a Canadian mining giant, is subject to U.S. pollution laws because Canadian slag washed into U.S. waters. This sets an important precedent for other cross-boundary pollution. For more than 100 years, Teck and its predec…
Continue reading the post titled Teck Cominco: Applying US Law to Canadians in CanadaHow to get the best environmental advice and win your case
Lexpert’s annual Top 500 Lawyers in Canada has honoured us again. This year, for the very first time, we were also in the gender majority: three of Ontario’s top five environmental lawyers are now women! Well, I suppose it’s about time. And there weren’t any women lis…
Continue reading the post titled How to get the best environmental advice and win your caseExport and Import of Hazardous waste
In late December, we were successful in having Environment Canada drop all charges against one of our clients. To the considerable fright of company staff, Environment Canada had executed a very public search warrant, with a huge search team, and had seized boxes of documents. Months later, …
Continue reading the post titled Export and Import of Hazardous waste