Water Quality Trading
An enthusiastic study on Water Quality Trading recommends using “cap and trade” to control phosphorus levels in the Lake Simcoe watershed. Lake Simcoe needs a major reduction in phosphorus loadings, even as population and climate change increase. The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan c…
View the post titled Water Quality TradingFalse or misleading Records of site condition
Is a site really clean? Can you trust a Record of Site Condition? We keep finding examples of why the Ministry of the Environment had to tighten the obligations of Qualified Persons in Regulation 153/04, the regulation that governs contaminated sites. The regulation requires a Qualified Pers…
View the post titled False or misleading Records of site conditionFeds to regulate municipal wastewater
Environment Canada has released 74 pages of proposed regulations on municipal sewage treatment. Once in force, these regulations will set standards for effluent and reporting from about 4000 municipal wastewater facilities, and will considerably tighten discharge standards for many of these …
View the post titled Feds to regulate municipal wastewaterWhat's happening with BPA?
In the last two years, there has been lots of public concern about consumer exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in soft drinks, baby bottles, etc.). Many vendors and retailers withdrew their BPA products; eco leaders now carry metal water bottles instead of plastic. Environment Canada is now plann…
View the post titled What's happening with BPA?Approvals Reform, at last?
After years of complaints about the economic drag created by Ontario’s sclerotic environmental approval process, something may finally be about to change. Environment Minister Gerretsen has announced the formal beginning of consultations on the long-overdue transformation agenda for Ap…
View the post titled Approvals Reform, at last?Why no minimum fines in the SDWA?
Minimum fines would be particularly inappropriate in dealing with municipalities, almost all of whom already provided safe water before the Walkerton disaster.
View the post titled Why no minimum fines in the SDWA?Reg. 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 watershedsPharmaceutical waste
Jackie made a recent presentation to Ontario’s pharmacists about the proper handling and disposal of pharmaceutical waste. Most contamination of surface and groundwater with pharmaceuticals seems to be a result of drugs that are still active after they are excreted from the body. Howe…
View the post titled Pharmaceutical wasteWhy is fairness irrelevant?
Innocent parties forced to pay unfair environmental costs should seek compensation in the civil courts, and should not expect any help from the ERT.
View the post titled Why is fairness irrelevant?Receive Blog Posts
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