Kawartha Lakes appeal heard by Court of Appeal
The City of Kawartha Lakes has appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal from a Ministry of the Environment Order, which imposed cleanup liability on the City for contamination it did not cause. The City argues that the MOE should have imposed those cleanup costs on the polluters, meaning eith…
Continue reading the post titled Kawartha Lakes appeal heard by Court of AppealCoordinating international laws on hazardous materials and waste
Three different international treaties regulate international aspects of of hazardous materials and wastes. This week, staff and delegates working on the three treaties are meeting together to coordinate their efforts.
Continue reading the post titled Coordinating international laws on hazardous materials and wasteDid Conservatives mislead country on environmental assessment "delays"?
Canada’s environmental review process for projects such as oil and gas pipelines did not have backlogs or other unreasonable delays that would justify the timelines imposed by the federal government last year, according to a study in the respected Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aqua…
Continue reading the post titled Did Conservatives mislead country on environmental assessment "delays"?Landfill gas electricity may be eligible for permit by rule in Ontario
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is seeking public comment on a proposed regulation to allow landfill gas power generating facilities to register in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). The Registry is a much easier, quicker way to get environmental permission to bui…
Continue reading the post titled Landfill gas electricity may be eligible for permit by rule in OntarioWho has seen the spin? Wind opponents wrong about Fairview Wind decision
This decision opens no new door to legal claims against wind farms, nor does it bolster the acceptance of the wind opponents’ “evidence” in the courts.
Continue reading the post titled Who has seen the spin? Wind opponents wrong about Fairview Wind decisionUnderstanding Environmental Regulation Structure in Canada
In this blog post Paula reviews the statutory regime in Ontario and outlines strict liability offences and its impact on companies. Understanding your environmental obligations and responsibilities can be a confusing and a daunting task. There are multiple government departments involved wit…
Continue reading the post titled Understanding Environmental Regulation Structure in CanadaExperimental Lakes Area: well done, Premier Wynne!
We want to add our voice to those congratulating and thanking Premier Wynne for stepping in to rescue the world class environmental research station, the irreplaceable Experimental Lakes Area that the federal government shuttered. How can the federal government expect to make good environmen…
Continue reading the post titled Experimental Lakes Area: well done, Premier Wynne!Why the Supreme Court decision in AbitibiBowater won’t work
We have written several times about the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in AbitibiBowater v. Newfoundland, in which insolvency law trumped environmental orders. Today, we want to tell you more about the rule the court laid down, and why it is likely to have perverse consequences. In…
Continue reading the post titled Why the Supreme Court decision in AbitibiBowater won’t workDebtors’ prison for bankrupt contaminated sites?
The Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal has dismissed an appeal from an individual ordered to clean up the historic contaminated site of a bankrupt company in Brighton, Ontario. Bruce Cooey’s father owned Cooey Metal Products Ltd., which owned and operated an factory in Brighton, O…
Continue reading the post titled Debtors’ prison for bankrupt contaminated sites?Pulitzer Prize for Reporting to Inside Climate News
Inside Climate News, a small online non-profit devoted to covering the changing climate, has won one of the most prestigious prizes in journalism. Three Inside Climate reporters received the National Reporting Pulitzer Prize for coverage of pipeline regulation and the hazards of tar sands oi…
Continue reading the post titled Pulitzer Prize for Reporting to Inside Climate News