New York State Sues Companies for $38M in Remediation Costs
In June 2018 the State of New York sued 3M Co. and five other companies for the costs associated with the remediation of hazardous materials caused by the firefighting foam manufactured by these six companies. This is the first lawsuit of its type filed by a U.S. state against private compan…
View the post titled New York State Sues Companies for $38M in Remediation CostsOntario Files Argument in Court Challenge of Federal Carbon Tax Act
On September 14, 2018, the government of Ontario filed a statement of particulars in the constitutional challenge of the federal government’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act filed on August 1, 2018. By Order in Council the Province set out the question to be addressed by the court as: “…
View the post titled Ontario Files Argument in Court Challenge of Federal Carbon Tax ActOntario Superior Court of Justice Sets Aside Provisions of Legislation Cutting Toronto City Council in Half in City of Toronto et al v. Ontario (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 5151.
In July 2018, merely one month into his new role as Ontario Premier, Doug Ford announced his intention to reduce the number of Councillors in the City of Toronto by almost 50%. Bill 5, Better Local Government Act (“Bill 5”), which received Royal Assent on August 14, 2018, reduced the number …
View the post titled Ontario Superior Court of Justice Sets Aside Provisions of Legislation Cutting Toronto City Council in Half in City of Toronto et al v. Ontario (Attorney General), 2018 ONSC 5151.New regulations to reduce coal?
Getting rid of coal in electricity generation made Ontario Canada’s leader in reducing GHG emissions. Now that we have a remarkably climate-friendly electrical system, what about other uses of coal in Ontario? The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) says it will ge…
View the post titled New regulations to reduce coal?B.C. Court: No Abuse of Water Approvals for Fracking
Because fracking consumes a huge amount of water, Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) and the Sierra Club of B.C. recently challenged how the B.C. government grants water use approvals to oil and gas companies. The government gives a series of short term approvals for fracking, freque…
View the post titled B.C. Court: No Abuse of Water Approvals for FrackingExperts permitted to testify via telephone… sometimes
The Environmental Review Tribunal has granted a request to have expert witnesses testify via telephone conference call when the appellants argued that it would be too costly to have them attend in person, and that videoconferencing was also costly, as well as prone to technological failure. …
View the post titled Experts permitted to testify via telephone… sometimesTribunal cracks down on non-expert anti-wind “experts”
Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal approved another wind farm on December 24, 2013, in Bovaird v. Director, Ministry of the Environment. In addition to rejecting the Charter argument, described earlier this week, Bovaird was notable for a slightly tougher approach to witnesses who propo…
View the post titled Tribunal cracks down on non-expert anti-wind “experts”Ruling: Wind turbine approvals comply with the Charter
While some people find wind turbines annoying, subjective annoyance is not so serious an infringement of personal security to constitute a breach of the Charter.
View the post titled Ruling: Wind turbine approvals comply with the CharterApprovals Modernization spreads to Public Lands Act
The trend towards “modernization of approvals” (otherwise known as “permit by rule” for what are supposed to be routine, lower risk, routinely-permitted activities) continues to spread across the Ontario government. Now it’s the turn of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Public Lands Act.
View the post titled Approvals Modernization spreads to Public Lands ActApprovals reform making progress
What are Ontario’s biggest obstacles to job creation? According to employers contacting the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the Ministry of the Environment is usually on their top 5 list. And approvals problems (including delay) are high among them. Approvals reform i…
View the post titled Approvals reform making progressReceive Blog Posts
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