Bruce Power Receives $100,000 Penalty for Refrigerant handling Violations
Bruce Power Limited Partnership, operator of the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant, has pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999). It received penalties of $100,000 for failure to conduct an annual leak test of all the components of a refri…
Continue reading the post titled Bruce Power Receives $100,000 Penalty for Refrigerant handling ViolationsTwitter Moot: Common law right to a healthy atmosphere?
Saxe Law Office is proudly sponsoring the environmental law Twitter Moot for the second year. The question being debated by Canadian law students (in 140 characters or less) is: Do Canadians have a legally recognized right to a healthy global atmosphere? If so, large scale emissions of green…
Continue reading the post titled Twitter Moot: Common law right to a healthy atmosphere?New fee for Ontario environmental sector registry
As of October 28, 2012, the Ministry of the Environment now charges $1,190 to register an activity in the an Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). See EBR Registry Number: 011-6549. This is part of a general raising of fees across the Ontario government, as recommend by the Drum…
Continue reading the post titled New fee for Ontario environmental sector registryDirectors and officers to be liable for contamination on escheated land?
What happens to contaminated sites when their corporate owner goes bust? Most of them end up escheating to the province, which is increasingly concerned about costs of managing them. Now, Ontario’s Ministry of Infrastructure is seeking comments on a proposed new management framework for forf…
Continue reading the post titled Directors and officers to be liable for contamination on escheated land?Fewer oil tanker spills in 2011
In 2011, oil tankers spilt less oil than ever before since records began, according to the excellent International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation. There were only four medium sized spills and one large one, for a total of about 1,000 tonnes. Better ships (with double hulls), better equip…
Continue reading the post titled Fewer oil tanker spills in 2011An introduction to the law of noise pollution
Dianne gave a well received introduction to the law of noise pollution at the Ontario Bar Association’s Halloween breakfast. Topics included what is noise, who regulates it, how the Environmental Protection Act applies, enforcement under the EPA, bylaws and the OMB, and civil suits fo…
Continue reading the post titled An introduction to the law of noise pollutionUtah latest US state to mandating disclosure of fracking chemicals
On October 24, the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining approved a new rule requiring companies to use FracFocus, the US’s national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry, to report the amount and types of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to produce oil and gas. Seven other s…
Continue reading the post titled Utah latest US state to mandating disclosure of fracking chemicalsEnforcement of PCB Regulations ramping up
Environment Canada is ramping up its enforcement of the federal PCB regulations. Surprisingly, they are finding illegal PCBs in municipal facilities. This could have serious consequences for municipalities, and for the individuals in charge.
Continue reading the post titled Enforcement of PCB Regulations ramping upNew Canadian environmental assessments exclude stakeholders and issues
The new standing rules in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, have now been interpreted the first two times, with contradictory results. The Prosperity Mine panel, in BC, has wisely interpreted the new standing rules broadly, including experts, Non-Governmental Organizations, Fi…
Continue reading the post titled New Canadian environmental assessments exclude stakeholders and issuesActivists sue nuclear plant for water pollution
Cape Cod Baywatch and Pilgrim Watch residents have given notice of their intent to sue Entergy for water pollution and fish kills caused by its Massachusetts nuclear plant.
Continue reading the post titled Activists sue nuclear plant for water pollution