Noise Bylaws
Noise pollution has been around for a long time. There’s even a reference going back to the 3rd millennium B.C., in The Epic of Gilgamesh: “The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babble.” Noise, often defined as unwanted sound, is not always det…
Continue reading the post titled Noise BylawsWaste Characterization must be Correct
An Alberta case, Wainwright v. GM Pearson, has reinforced the duties of care owed by waste generators and handlers to everyone down the chain, including those who ultimately dispose of its waste. This case involved drums of lacquer dust, characterized by the generators as solid, non-hazardou…
Continue reading the post titled Waste Characterization must be CorrectDanier Class Action
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision, imposing a million dollars in court costs on an unsuccessful plaintiff in a proposed class action, may give pause to some potential environmental plaintiffs and their legal counsel. However, the court emphasized that the plaintiff was a multi-mil…
Continue reading the post titled Danier Class ActionNobel Prize for Gore
We are delighted to congratulate Al Gore on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, for his tireless work to awaken the world to the crisis of climate change. As the scientific drumbeats grow louder and louder, the need for action grows ever more urgent. Thanks to Gore and others like him, perhaps …
Continue reading the post titled Nobel Prize for GoreBike 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…
Continue reading 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…
Continue reading the post titled Great Results for Clients This SummerGeneral Chemical Canada: Another Orphan Site
Contaminated sites continue to keep the courts busy. This month, the Ontario Court of Appeal allowed a secured creditor to take $3.75 million out of a bankrupt firm, despite MOE objections that the money was needed to cleanup the bankrupt’s pollution. In Harbert Distressed Investment F…
Continue reading the post titled General Chemical Canada: Another Orphan SiteSWSSA, 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…
Continue reading 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 …
Continue reading 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…
Continue reading the post titled Election Promises