A rare jail sentence
Jail is a possible penalty for many environmental offences (see s. 187 of the Environmental Protection Act), but is rarely imposed. It is usually reserved for those defiantly causing serious pollution. On September 1, 2010, Pierre Sleiman was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $5,000 plu…
View the post titled A rare jail sentenceRenewable energy approvals amendments
As a key pillar in supporting the development of Ontario’s green economy, the Ontario government made O.Reg.359/09 (Renewable Energy Approvals) under the Environmental Protection Act, which came in to force on September 24, 2009. This regulation offers a hopefully one-window approach to regu…
View the post titled Renewable energy approvals amendmentsClimate change: How strong is the evidence?
Is climate change science “real science”? Can climate change experts give expert evidence in court? Canadian courts have not yet wrestled with this issue, but American courts have. The leading case is Green Mountain Chrysler v. Crombie. In 2007, the auto industry tried to prevent…
View the post titled Climate change: How strong is the evidence?Hungarian sludge spill and our tailings ponds
The Hungarian sludge spill disaster is just another reminder of the large scale havoc and devastation that industrial sludge impoundments can create. Every few years we read about another one. On April 25, 1998, a tailings dam failure of the Los Frailes lead-zinc mine at Aznalcóllar near Sev…
View the post titled Hungarian sludge spill and our tailings pondsShould government get away with defying the law?
I don’t think so. See my column in today’s SLAW, (Canada’s top legal blog) on the Federal Court of Appeal’s weak and unwise decision on the federal government’s defiance of the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act. The Supreme Court of Canada refused leave to appe…
View the post titled Should government get away with defying the law?Factory farms- who controls the pollution?
Who is responsible for pollution from contract farms: the family farm, or the multi-national food company who controls everything that they do? A US case has set an important precedent on the liability of the food companies. In Assateague Coastkeeper v Hudson et al, an environmental group su…
View the post titled Factory farms- who controls the pollution?Water Opportunities and Conservation Act?
Bill 72, the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act, 2010, passed second reading in the Ontario Legislature on September 23. It was referred to the Standing Committee on General Government, which will hold public hearings in Toronto on October 18 and 20. Important dates:
View the post titled Water Opportunities and Conservation Act?Gulf Spill: the end of the beginning
It will take many years to understand the total impact of this spill, the largest man-made environmental catastrophe in US history.
View the post titled Gulf Spill: the end of the beginningCompost fines
On August 20, 2010, Compost Niagara Inc. was fined a total of $42,000 for five violations under the Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act. The charges relate to their failure to comply with their waste and sewage works certificates of approval, and to altering a s…
View the post titled Compost finesHave an opinion on Ontario's energy future?
Ontario is asking for the public’s input on its long-term energy plan. The Ministry of Energy has posted a 10-question survey to gather feedback on a 20-year supply plan. The key issue is how to balance short-term cost increases with long-term improvements in, for example, a smarter grid an…
View the post titled Have an opinion on Ontario's energy future?Receive Blog Posts
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