Big Fine For Environmental Consultant

Fines of $201,500, plus the 25% victim fine surcharge, have been imposed on an environmental consultant, his company and its client, for violations of the Ontario Water Resources Act. The client was also sent to jail.

The convictions relate to the construction of wells by senior environmental consultant Bruce Brown (a PhD geochemist) and Bruce A. Brown Associates Limited at a Belleville property owned by Sinclair Landing Inc, of which James Sinclair is the Director. While the wells did not cause adverse impacts to the local community and environment, they were constructed by an unlicensed well technician, records related to the wells were not submitted as required, wells were not properly abandoned and false or misleading information was received.