Environmental Law

Are tiny levels of drugs in bottled or tap water a health risk? We just don't know.

In February, we told you about the landmark decision in Berendsen v. Ontario, a precedent-setting case holding the Ontario government liable for contamination of a dairy farm by road waste. On July 11, Berendsen’s victory became doubly sweet when Judge Seppi awarded them $655,000 in le…

A wide cross section of knowledgeable people showed strong interest this week in the Liberal proposal to start shifting federal taxes from income to carbon pollution. Representatives of business, NGOs, universities, environmental consultants and the legal bar gathered on short notice to ques…

Ontario has pushed through a regulation that gives residents no say in the type or location of most future transit projects. Ontario regulation 231/08, which came into effect June 24, exempts virtually all transit projects from conventional environmental assessment. Instead, major transit pr…

The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld the federal government’s narrow interpretation of its Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (“CEAA”). In Red Chris Development Co. Ltd. versus Miningwatch Canada, Miningwatch tried, unsuccessfully, to compel the federal government to c…

Lafarge announced today that it will seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal from the June 18 decision of the Divisional Court. (See https://www.siskinds.com/2008/06/19/lafarge-victory/). Lafarge points out that the court’s ruling would discourage alternative energy investments in …

The Ontario Municipal Insurance Exchange has been kind enough to post their video of Dianne’s recent lecture on climate change. Enjoy!

For the second time in a year, the federal House of Commons has passed climate change legislation put forward by the opposition parties. On June 4, the House gave third reading to Bill C-377, an Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change:

Since Toronto’s 2000 Environmental Plan, the Toronto Board of Health has been concerned about inadequacies in federal and provincial environmental toxics reporting, especially its failure to require reporting from small and medium-sized businesses. Early this year, the City proposed a …

Under Toronto’s Sewer Bylaw, Toronto companies are obliged to thoroughly update their pollution prevention plans every six years. For manufacturers, the first plans were due June 30, 2002; this means that new plans are due next Monday. Minor updates must be submitted every two years.