Archive for the ‘Legal items’ Category
For many years, we have been offering easy to understand guidance text on environmental issues. We cover 18 topics that range from Air Emissions to Wastewater to Hazardous Materials. Now, you can see the overview of each topic in an open and public way at no cost. Behind the scenes, there is much more useful content to help you manage your environmental obligations. Here are just a few examples.
Environmental updates are tricky thing – they come from gazettes, council minutes and other locations, not to mention the various level of governments. Nimonik, through NimonikApp.ca, offers all of its Canadian Federal Environmental Updates free of charge, take a look at some recent ones below. We also offer updates for all the provinces, territories and many municipalities for a low annual fee.
Richard Bereti of the Vancouver firm, Harper Grey LLP, discusses the pros and cons of risk-based remediation vs. numerically- based remuneration, as well as the prospects for new rules on limited liability for contaminated sites in BC.
February 1rst 2010, the city of Oakville has adopted a new, and very serious, by-law, Health Protection Air Quality. The aim of the new by-law is to preserve the health of Oakville residents by reducing the levels of fine particulate matter (Fine PM) in the town’s ambiant air. It also aims to collect information on sources of emissions, regulate major emitters in the absence of federal and provincial regulations and to designate major emission of fine particulate matter, presenting unacceptable risks to the human health as « public nuisance ». Currently, there is no federal or provincial regulation standards on this topic.
Oakville initiative aims the fine particulate matters that are airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size. Those substances are listed as toxic substances by the Canadian Environmental Protection Agency. An abundance of scientific studies demonstration fatal effects when inhalated by humans. For these specific reasons, Oakville has imposed new approval and reporting requirements on major emitters. Each emitter must obtain town approval for their emissions. The town approval process for major emitters involves an application fee of 25, 000$ to cover the costs to the town of processing the application.
For more informations about the Oakville initiative, please click here.
Just came across an interesting article on pesticide use, or should we say overuse, in Saskatchewan. This Globe and Mail editorial outlines how Saskatchewan is both the largest producer of organic food (per capita) and has the most lax cosmetic pesticide legislation. With more and more jurisdictions moving towards restrictions on cosmetic pesticides, one has to wonder when Saskatchewan will tackle the issue.
The two main pesticide regulations in Saskatchewan, the Pesticide Control Products Act and the Pesticide Control Products Regulations make no mention of cosmetic pesticides, nor has either law been meaningfully revised in the past 10 years.
