Wind approvals issued
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has issued its first renewable energy approvals for wind turbines, under the full scale process established by the 1 year old Green Energy and Green Economy Act. They authorize two small Class 2 wind projects, and one 20 MW Class 4 project in Camden, O…
View the post titled Wind approvals issuedCaledon quarry rejected
OMB: It is time for alternatives to aggregate for infrastructure construction to be found.
View the post titled Caledon quarry rejectedEnvironmental fines in Canada
Nimonik has posted an interesting and original survey of environmental fines imposed in Canada from 1990 to 2009. According to the reports provided by each jurisdiction, only $26-million dollars worth of environmental fines have been levied against polluters by both provincial and federal l…
View the post titled Environmental fines in CanadaNow can they make you talk?
Most of the “Open for Business Act” changes to Ontario environmental laws won’t take effect till next year or so. But one important change has already happened: they may be able to make you talk.
View the post titled Now can they make you talk?Cumulative pollution a Charter breach?
Ecojustice has launched a lawsuit on behalf of Aamjiwnaaang First Nation members, Ron Plain and Ada Lockridge, alleging that the cumulative effects of government approved pollution in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley amounts to a violation of their human rights under sections 7 and 15 of the …
View the post titled Cumulative pollution a Charter breach?Open for Business- new rules for approvals
Bill 68, the Open for Business Act, has received Royal Assent. Schedule 7 of the Act makes major changes to a range of Ministry of the Environment statutes. Most will be phased in over time. For example, the Environmental Protection Act has received major amendments. A new Permit by Rule ap…
View the post titled Open for Business- new rules for approvalsThe dirty side of "clean fill"
Consumers and businesses frequently purchase or accept “clean fill” for use on their properties, without requiring environmental testing. But if the fill is contaminated, the ultimate costs can be very high.
View the post titled The dirty side of "clean fill"Successful nonsuits- hazardous waste
Successful non-suits of environmental prosecutions are rare. A non-suit is granted only when the Crown has failed to offer any evidence, no matter how manifestly unreliable, of the essential elements of the offences charged. I was therefore particularly pleased to achieve three non-suits o…
View the post titled Successful nonsuits- hazardous wasteA rare jail sentence
Jail is a possible penalty for many environmental offences (see s. 187 of the Environmental Protection Act), but is rarely imposed. It is usually reserved for those defiantly causing serious pollution. On September 1, 2010, Pierre Sleiman was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $5,000 plu…
View the post titled A rare jail sentencePlans, if not action on endangered species
At the same time that Ontario is pushing ahead to build the Windsor Essex highway through the habitat of several endangered species, the Ministry of Natural Resources is “initiating the development of a government response statement” concerning the proposed recovery strategies for some…
View the post titled Plans, if not action on endangered speciesReceive Blog Posts
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