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Hidden contamination: it wasn’t my tank!

by Dianne Saxe on July 30, 2010

Two Vancouver families have had an expensive nightmare due to an leaking underground storage tank. [click to continue…]

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Photos of the BP spill and cleanup

by Dianne Saxe on July 30, 2010

It is wonderful to hear how quickly the surface soil is disappearing from the Gulf of Mexico. Dec Doran of Oil Spill Control has graciously allowed me to post his photos from the BP spill cleanup in the Gulf. His key take-home message: watch out for those alligators!

PART 1 BP OIL SPILL RESPONSE OPERATIONS.

PART 1 BP OIL SPILL RESPONSE OPERATIONS

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Retroactive injustice

July 28, 2010

For more thoughts on the unjust aspects of Smith v. Inco, see our column in Slaw.

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And in the U.S..

July 27, 2010

Three and four decades ago, Canada was an environmental leader. Now, in many ways, we just follow the US. On climate change, in particular, the Harper government has promised to do little until the US adopts its own climate bill. It is therefore particularly disappointing that last week congressional Democrats scuttled their climate bill for now. [...]

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Don’t touch that shoreline

July 26, 2010

Cottagers frequently want to “clean up” their shoreline, but this is usually illegal without a permit. A father and son were each charged with altering their shoreline and removing vegetation without a permit, contrary to the Saskatchewan Environment Management and Protection Act, 2002. 

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Watch us re BP

July 24, 2010

Watch a short video interview with Dianne on the BP oil spill. Thank you to Jonathan Brun at Nimonik for  making and posting these videos.

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Hope you saw us in yesterday’s Globe

July 22, 2010

FYI: yesterday’s story on  the Inco decision, and its implications for the tar sands.

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Eco fee reset

July 21, 2010

Ontario takes a second stab at funding household hazardous waste collection.

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GHG reductions: are we getting better?

July 20, 2010

The federal government has quietly admitted that its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction efforts are having little effect. The Harper Conservatives won’t comply with the action plan portion of the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, 2007 , but they do  file the reports to Parliament that the KPIA requires. As a result, they have been forced [...]

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BP and bad regulators: Minerals Management Service

July 19, 2010

One of the biggest scandals surrounding the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the incompetence and worse of its regulator, the Minerals Management Service. Can pro-energy regulators also protect the environment? It seems unlikely.

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Windshare

July 16, 2010

Congratulations to Dianne on becoming President of Windshare, Canada’s first wind energy cooperative. Together with Toronto Hydro, Windshare owns and operates the highly visible turbine at the Toronto waterfront that has done so much to build support for wind energy in Ontario. Wind energy is the fastest growing form of renewable electricity generation, and is [...]

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Air pollution class action against the tar sands?

July 15, 2010

The successful class action by Port Colborne residents, Smith v. Inco, has opened the door to a similar class action against the tar sands.  In Inco, nickel particles were emitted from the refinery for 80 years.  There was no proof that Inco ever operated illegally or negligently, or failed to comply with its provincial permits for [...]

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First, do no harm: controlled burns and sea turtles

July 14, 2010

A coalition of animal protection and conservation groups filed a lawsuit on June 30 to stop BP from conducting “controlled burns” of spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico. They allege that protected and endangered sea turtles were being incinerated alive.,

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Limitations: why not too late to sue for contamination?

July 12, 2010

No one can count any longer on the limitation period having run for any of it.

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Inco to pay $36 million in Port Colborne class action

July 9, 2010

Inco has been ordered to pay $36 million to past and present property owners in Port Colborne,  for lost property value due to historic nickel contamination. None of the contamination occurred after 1984, and Inco complied with all applicable laws during the operation of its refinery. Nevertheless, Justice Henderson ruled that Inco is strictly liable [...]

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