On June 17, Dianne Saxe and Graham Rempe of the City Toronto’s Legal Services spoke on the issue of current environmental liabilities for municipalities. Graham gracious agreed to allow us to post the paper we prepared here. As the introduction explains:
Few topics evoke more concern about “vast” liability than environmental mishaps. Municipalities and their legal advisors are well advised to carefully monitor developments in this area, where liability is writ large. Memorable examples include the Mississauga train derailment of 1979, the Walkerton tainted water scandal of May 11, 2000 and of course the horrific tragedy at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec on July 6, 2013. In the wake of events like these, and many, many similar, though less dramatic examples, municipalities and other government bodies may be exposed to both civil and regulatory liability. The related costs or damages can be extensive, and expensive.
The environmental panel at this presentation will cover recent developments that merit attention, and offer comments on what they may mean for your practice.
Thank you, Graham, for allowing us to post our writing here – we are pleased to share it with a broader audience.