Things we wish judges knew about environmental offences by directors
Dianne Saxe had a precious opportunity to tell judges what we wish they knew about environmental offences by directors and and officers, particularly in relation to sentencing. Our bottom lines: Fairness, Good Science, and the real differences between Foresight and Hindsight. It is rarely co…
View the post titled Things we wish judges knew about environmental offences by directorsEcuador oil pollution claim can try again to collect from Chevron in Canada
Indigenous Ecuadorian villagers can try again to enforce a controversial $18 billion environmental damage award against Texaco (now merged with Chevron Corp., one of the world’s largest corporations) in Canada. This is part of a worldwide legal battle between the villagers, seeking to …
View the post titled Ecuador oil pollution claim can try again to collect from Chevron in CanadaYes, that pollution exclusion in your insurance does work
Businesses with pollution risks need to buy insurance WITHOUT pollution exclusions.
View the post titled Yes, that pollution exclusion in your insurance does workChallenge to Sage Grouse Protection Order
In December, the Federal Government followed through on its commitment (and obligation) to introduce an Emergency Protection Order for the Greater Sage Grouse, a species on the verge of extinction in Canada. Earlier this month, however, the City of Medicine Hat and LGX Oil & Gas Inc. fi…
View the post titled Challenge to Sage Grouse Protection OrderExcess Soil Management Guidance finalized
The Ministry of the Environment has announced release of the final, Management of Excess Soil – A Guide for Best Management Practices is now available on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry and the ministry’s website. The document provides guidance on many aspects of managing soil for…
View the post titled Excess Soil Management Guidance finalizedMacQueen class action struck out re Sydney Tar Ponds
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has struck out the groundbreaking class action that had been certified relating to contamination from the Sydney Tar Ponds and the associated steel and coke plants: MacQueen v. Ispat Sidbec Inc. This is another major setback to plaintiffs in contaminated land …
View the post titled MacQueen class action struck out re Sydney Tar PondsLawsuits for climate disasters?
Lawsuits against private firms for climate disaster compensation may not be winnable yet, but important groundwork is being laid. In groundbreaking peer-reviewed research, researcher Richard Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute offers the most complete picture to date of which insti…
View the post titled Lawsuits for climate disasters?Landmark lead paint abatement case decided in California
In a landmark lead paint liability case, the Superior Court of California has held three of five paint companies liable for public nuisance. The court ordered them to clean up lead paint in California residences painted before 1978, at a total cost of $1.15 billion. The use of lead in interi…
View the post titled Landmark lead paint abatement case decided in CaliforniaPublic Access to documents through the Environmental Registry
In two cases we blogged about last month (Brimley Progress v. Director, MOE and Environment Hamilton v. Director, MOE), the ERT found that the public should have access to the documents that support Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) applications, or form part of their the final ECAR…
View the post titled Public Access to documents through the Environmental RegistryDisclose that contamination? Or not?
Owners of contaminated sites are sometimes reluctant to disclose what they know, hoping to get rid of the liability with the property. Anyone who is so tempted will want to follow what happens in 1623242 Ontario Inc. v. Great Lakes Copper Inc., 2013 ONSC 7935 and 2013 ONSC 2548. In this case…
View the post titled Disclose that contamination? Or not?Receive Blog Posts
By subscribing to our blog, you will receive an email when a new post is added. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending an email to us at [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.