Congratulations to Environmental Commissioners
I am late in congratulating both the Ontario and the federal Environmental Commissioners for their invaluable annual reports, and will try to look more closely at their findings as time permits. The Ontario Commissioner emphasizes how much the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is doing wit…
View the post titled Congratulations to Environmental CommissionersExpropriating 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 landPollution, hot spots and environmental justice
Is it acceptable for legal pollution levels to be higher in some neighbourhoods than in others? In the US, pollution is often concentrated in areas of colour, including the famous Cancer Alley. Changing this is called “environmental justice”, and is an important priority for US EPA Administ…
View the post titled Pollution, hot spots and environmental justiceIntro to environmental law for construction
Interested in an overview of environmental law for those involved in construction? Dianne recently gave one to the Ontario Bar Association Construction Law section. To see it, click OBA Construction Intro.
View the post titled Intro to environmental law for constructionWill Midland really put a waste site facing Ste Marie?
Opposition is growing to a proposal, by the Town of Midland and a waste/ scrap handling company called Recycling Specialties, to put a waste transfer and processing site (with outdoor storage) on a vacant lot facing the most sensitive and sacred parts of Sainte Marie among the Hurons and the…
View the post titled Will Midland really put a waste site facing Ste Marie?Speech from the Throne
Environmental issues were not top of mind in yesterday’s Speech from the Throne by Ontario’s minority government. In fact, the word “environment” is mentioned only once:
View the post titled Speech from the ThroneOntario 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resolved by guilty pleas; about 5% are acquitted at trial; about 10% are convicted of something at trial; about 10% are withdrawn.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 convictionsOff shore wind lawsuit
Before the election, the McGuinty government put a moratorium on offshore wind projects, claiming that further research was needed. Now, one of the companies that planned to build an off-shore wind farm in Lake Ontario is suing for compensation.
View the post titled Off shore wind lawsuitEscheat is very popular
One of the popular ways of dealing with contaminated sites that are “underwater” i.e. where the economic value of the property does not justify remediation, is to abandon it by letting it escheat to the Crown. Escheat happens when a corporation is dissolved, leaving no one to receive its …
View the post titled Escheat is very popularCompost maker fined $125,000
Compost maker Scott Environmental Group Limited has been fined $125,000 plus the 25% victim fine surcharge, for breaching multiple conditions of its Certificate of Approval. Scott (operating as Norterra Organics in Kingston) pleaded guilty to accepting too much daily waste, storing more than…
View the post titled Compost maker fined $125,000Receive Blog Posts
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