Haiti, deforestation and environmental collapse
Deforestation (together with corruption and violence) had brought Haiti close to environmental collapse even before this week’s tragic earthquake. See, for example http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/01/13/world/americas/1247466532047/haiti-s-legacy-of-environmental-disaster.html. See …
Continue reading the post titled Haiti, deforestation and environmental collapseMore thoughts about fairness
The Nova Scotia Law Reform Commission wrestled recently with the concept of fairness in environmental liability, especially in relation to retroactive laws and joint and several liability. It is interesting to compare this to the ERT decision in Kawartha Lakes in November:
Continue reading the post titled More thoughts about fairnessNew rules on moving soil
New rules should significantly increase the cost of disposing of surplus soils from construction projects.
Continue reading the post titled New rules on moving soilRenewable energy approvals
Dianne spoke this week to a conference on renewable energy infrastructure in Ontario. Renewable Energy approvals, Jan 26 is her presentation. Please let us know what you think!
Continue reading the post titled Renewable energy approvals"Enhanced" Records of Site Condition
According to the Ministry of the Environment, one of its key changes to Reg. 153/04 (in Reg. 511/09) are its “enhancements” to the Record of Site Condition process. These “enhancements” have three major components: A quality control / audit process for Records of Site Condition, before they …
Continue reading the post titled "Enhanced" Records of Site ConditionReg. 511/09: did they really mean this?
Some of the previously unannounced Reg. 511/09 amendments to Ontario’s brownfields regulation, 153/04, seem to have unexpected effects. For example, wells for dewatering or for groundwater treatment may now require every property within 250 metres to use potable (not non-potable) clean…
Continue reading the post titled Reg. 511/09: did they really mean this?Real protection of watersheds
In the ongoing fallout of Ontario’s unfortunate response to the Walkerton water disaster, the objective of Ontario's source protection plans will be too narrow: protecting the immediate vicinity of sources of drinking water. Watersheds have many “functions” other than providing drinking w…
Continue reading the post titled Real protection of watershedsNew brownfields rules
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has quietly adopted sweeping changes to the regulation of brownfields and other contaminated sites. Some of the changes were extensively reviewed with stakeholders during the past three years; others were surprises: See the 87 pages of Regulation 511/0…
Continue reading the post titled New brownfields rulesDownloading liability on municipalities
Senior governments seem to have no shame about downloading enormous, undisclosed environmental liabilities on municipalities. In an English case, Corby Group Litigation v. Corby District Council, the Corby Borough Council (CBC) has been held liable for allowing residents to become exposed t…
Continue reading the post titled Downloading liability on municipalitiesWhy is fairness irrelevant?
Innocent parties forced to pay unfair environmental costs should seek compensation in the civil courts, and should not expect any help from the ERT.
Continue reading the post titled Why is fairness irrelevant?