No personal environmental conviction without knowledge or participation
When is an individual liable to conviction for a corporate environmental offence? The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has insisted that management personnel are automatically liable for corporate environmental offences, and has laid numerous charges on this basis. The Summary Conviction …
View the post titled No personal environmental conviction without knowledge or participationHome Depot: Excessive enforcement causing recycling set back?
Home Depot’s decision to stop accepting waste paint and compact fluorescent bulbs for recycling is a sad setback, and another sign of trouble in Ontario’s waste reduction and diversion strategy. It is important to collect every possible used fluorescent bulb (and not throw them i…
View the post titled Home Depot: Excessive enforcement causing recycling set back?Enforcement of PCB Regulations ramping up
Environment Canada is ramping up its enforcement of the federal PCB regulations. Surprisingly, they are finding illegal PCBs in municipal facilities. This could have serious consequences for municipalities, and for the individuals in charge.
View the post titled Enforcement of PCB Regulations ramping upAmmonia leak, $25,000 fine
Windsor company, 38 Chatham Street East Ltd., pleaded guilty to discharging anhydrous ammonia into the natural environment, which interfered with the normal conduct of business, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act of Ontario.
View the post titled Ammonia leak, $25,000 fineJail for victim of vandalism?
1197338 Ontario Inc. was fined $150,000 plus the 25% Victim Fine Surcharge for failing to comply with a Director’s Order to clean up a spill of PCBs; its president, Lawrence Brander was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the same offence. But why did the spill occur?
View the post titled Jail for victim of vandalism?What's happened to federal enforcement?
In Getting Tough on Environmental Crime?, Ecojustice collates fragmentary, publicly available information to show the marked decline in federal environmental inspections and convictions since 2004.
View the post titled What's happened to federal enforcement?Ponoka fined $70,000 for sewage discharge permitted by province
While federal environmental enforcement is less frequent these days, the fines imposed are getting larger. The small town of Ponoka, Alberta (population about 7000) was fined $70,000 after pleading guilty to one count under the Fisheries Act. The Town was releasing effluent from their wastew…
View the post titled Ponoka fined $70,000 for sewage discharge permitted by provinceNew federal wastewater regulations a challenge for municipalities
Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association “Window on Ottawa”, on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette. Bottom line, the …
View the post titled New federal wastewater regulations a challenge for municipalitiesFarmer 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 jailOntario flurry of convictions
In a typical year, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment launches about 150 to 175 prosecutions. About 75% of them are resolved by guilty pleas; about 5% are acquitted at trial; about 10% are convicted of something at trial; about 10% are withdrawn. Thus, we expect to hear about 12 or so c…
View the post titled Ontario flurry of convictionsReceive Blog Posts
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