Climate warning labels on gasoline may become a reality
The municipality of West Vancouver, prompted by Grade 10 student Emily Kelsall, may be the first in Canada to put labels on gas nozzles warning of the dangers of climate change. The municipality is looking into whether it has the necessary power to enact such a bylaw, we think that they might. We wrote earlier about Our...
Continue reading the post titled Climate warning labels on gasoline may become a realityExperts 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. In Pitt v. Director, Ministry of the Environment, 2014...
Continue reading the post titled Experts permitted to testify via telephone… sometimesNational Conservation Plan, instead of regulation?
On June 26, 2014, the Harper Government “celebrated” the launch of the National Conservation Plan. The Plan would invest $252 million over five years in “securing ecologically sensitive lands,” “supporting conservation efforts,” wetlands restoration, and “to encourage Canadians to connect with nature close to home through protected areas and green spaces located in or near urban areas.” According...
Continue reading the post titled National Conservation Plan, instead of regulation?Wind opponents lose health challenges around the world
A recent report by the Energy and Policy Institute documents the rejection of anti-wind health claims by 48 courts and tribunals in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the US. In one anomalous US case, two turbines which had had a known problem were ordered to be shut down 12 hours a day, four hours...
Continue reading the post titled Wind opponents lose health challenges around the worldUrban Forests Across Canada Valued at $51B
TD Bank issued a report on September 24, 2014, providing an economic valuation of urban forests in the greater Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver areas, estimating that these forests contain more than 100 million trees which carry an estimated worth of $51 billion (Halifax: $11.5B; Montreal: $4.5B; Vancouver: $35B). TD claims that for each dollar spent...
Continue reading the post titled Urban Forests Across Canada Valued at $51BAnti-Fluoride in Drinking Water: Litigation Update
Will citizen group litigation and the threat of personal liability stop fluoridation of drinking water in Ontario? In our earlier blog post, we described a threat by an advocacy group called Concerned Residents of Peel to End Water Fluoridation (Concerned Residents) against Peel municipal councillors. The group threatened the councillors with personal liability if they did not stop the Region from...
Continue reading the post titled Anti-Fluoride in Drinking Water: Litigation UpdateInvasive species regulations now in force
As we reported last year, on November 3, 2015, the province passed several new pieces of environmental legislation, including the Invasive Species Act, 2015. The province has now introduced regulations under the Act to ban the import, breeding, purchase and sale of 19 invasive species. There are two categories of invasive species: prohibited and restricted....
Continue reading the post titled Invasive species regulations now in forceOntario Announces Continuation of Offshore Wind Turbine Moratorium
Ontario announced earlier this week that it would be extending its moratorium on offshore wind turbine projects. The province had initially announced the moratorium back in 2011. The government has indicated that it requires further research before authorizing the development of off-shore wind farms. Since the moratorium was put in place, five studies have been...
Continue reading the post titled Ontario Announces Continuation of Offshore Wind Turbine MoratoriumThe Problem of Too Much Soil and Dirty Fill
At the end of December, 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (“MOECC”) in Ontario released its Excess Soil Policy Framework. The problem of excess soil is not a small one, and it has been gaining more attention, particularly as big cities seek to intensify, creating vast quantities of “fill” that then has to...
Continue reading the post titled The Problem of Too Much Soil and Dirty FillPublic Interest Intervention in Private Environmental Disputes
A recent decision from the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Huang v Fraser Hillary’s Limited, 2018 ONCA 277, underscores the challenges faced by parties seeking to intervene in private environmental disputes. Background Fraser Hillary’s Limited (“FHL”) is the corporate owner of a property in Ottawa where it operates a dry-cleaning business. The owner of an...
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