The Samsung agreement and access to the grid
The most troubling aspect of the Samsung deal (beside the price) is its impact on the availability of transmission for other renewable energy generators.
View the post titled The Samsung agreement and access to the gridSpreading sewage sludge
The court found that experts disagree about the potential risks associated with the use of Biosolids, and that the municipality had jurisdiction to ban their use within its boundaries.
View the post titled Spreading sewage sludgeWhat's an ANS?
Here’s another fun question about Reg. 511/09, the recent amendments to Reg. 153/04: what’s an “area of natural significance” (ANS)? S. 1 now defines ANS to include “an area which is habitat of a species that is classified under section 7 of the Endangered Speci…
View the post titled What's an ANS?Fairness, non-polluter pays and Kawartha Lakes
Should municipalities have to pay to cleanup private spills? See today’s article in Lawyer’s Weekly.
View the post titled Fairness, non-polluter pays and Kawartha LakesTaking the Minister to court, personally
Jeffrey Lowes, Director of Government Relations for M-REP Communications, claims to have launched a private prosecution against the Minister of the Environment, John Gerretsen personally, and five senior civil servants. Mr. Lowes argues that Ontario’s ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides is…
View the post titled Taking the Minister to court, personallyEnvironmental Penalties higher in 2009
The Ministry of the Environment issued more environmental penalties in 2009: 13, totalling over $107,000. Although the total is still small, this is a significant increase over the 6 EP, totalling $69,583, that the Ministry issued in 2008. Companies were able to obtain reductions of up to 25…
View the post titled Environmental Penalties higher in 2009More thoughts about fairness
The Nova Scotia Law Reform Commission wrestled recently with the concept of fairness in environmental liability, especially in relation to retroactive laws and joint and several liability. It is interesting to compare this to the ERT decision in Kawartha Lakes in November:
View the post titled More thoughts about fairnessNew rules on moving soil
New rules should significantly increase the cost of disposing of surplus soils from construction projects.
View the post titled New rules on moving soilReg. 511/09: did they really mean this?
Some of the previously unannounced Reg. 511/09 amendments to Ontario’s brownfields regulation, 153/04, seem to have unexpected effects. For example, wells for dewatering or for groundwater treatment may now require every property within 250 metres to use potable (not non-potable) clean…
View the post titled Reg. 511/09: did they really mean this?Real protection of watersheds
In the ongoing fallout of Ontario’s unfortunate response to the Walkerton water disaster, the objective of Ontario's source protection plans will be too narrow: protecting the immediate vicinity of sources of drinking water. Watersheds have many “functions” other than providing drinking w…
View the post titled Real protection of watershedsReceive Blog Posts
By subscribing to our blog, you will receive an email when a new post is added. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending an email to us at [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.