One step closer to climate warning labels on gasoline
The West Vancouver Council recently voted unanimously to support warnings on gas pumps to warn motorists about the impact driving has on the environment. This is a first in Canada, and follows the example of several cities in California. Our congratulations to Our Horizon – the organiz…
View the post titled One step closer to climate warning labels on gasolineFish farm company silences activist opponent with defamation order
The BC Court of Appeal has ordered well-known anti-fish farm activist Don Staniford to pay $75,000 in damages because the mock cigarette packages he had made criticizing Norwegian-owned fish farm companies lacked footnotes or other appropriate citations. The court also granted a permanent in…
View the post titled Fish farm company silences activist opponent with defamation orderNorthern Gateway pipeline doomed by BC and aboriginal opposition?
For an interesting take on the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, and the likely impact of the British Columbia government’s public rejection of the proposal, check out the excellent US environmental news program, Living on Earth. Like many other observers, Living on Earth concludes t…
View the post titled Northern Gateway pipeline doomed by BC and aboriginal opposition?Enviro West v Copper Mountain, everyone is liable
A long running lawsuit over liability for PCB wastes may finally be over. In Enviro West Inc v. Copper Mountain Mining Corp. a waste hauler, Enviro West, unknowingly picked up waste oil highly contaminated with PCBs and mixed it with uncontaminated oil, resulting in substantial damages. At …
View the post titled Enviro West v Copper Mountain, everyone is liableMine or hauler: Who's responsible for Waste PCB Oil?
In Enviro West Inc. v. Copper Mountain Mining Corp. a waste hauler was hired to remove waste oil from a transformer at a mine. Despite several oral and written warnings, the hauler didn’t realize the oil was heavily contaminated with PCBs. As a result, the hauler mixed the PCBs with ot…
View the post titled Mine or hauler: Who's responsible for Waste PCB Oil?In depth analysis of Heyes v BC
We’ve twice mentioned the BC case, refusing to compensate business owners severely impacted during subway construction: Susan Heyes Inc. v. South Coast BC Transportation Authority. See April and March, 2011. The Supreme Court refused leave to appeal on October 20, 2011. The current iss…
View the post titled In depth analysis of Heyes v BCExpropriating contaminated land
When a municipality expropriates contaminated land, can it deduct the full cost of remediating the contamination from the amount paid to the reluctant seller? Surprisingly, the answer is still not clear.
View the post titled Expropriating contaminated landFarmer goes to jail
John Boonstra, a cattle farmer in Smithers, British Columbia, was sentenced on October 11, 2011, to three days jail time, one day for each charge under section 79.6 of the Fisheries Act.
View the post titled Farmer goes to jailUnsuccessful SLAPPs
Two British Columbia cases show again why we need laws to prevent Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
View the post titled Unsuccessful SLAPPsHow reliable are odour units?
345 Given that there are many steps in the process of attempting to calculate odour units which are problematic, and which contain so many points of bias and subjectivity, the Panel finds that the ultimate number or value coming out of an odour unit measurement cannot be relied upon as me…
View the post titled How reliable are odour units?Receive Blog Posts
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