Dianne’s Halifax Presentation On Contaminated Site Litigation

Canada's Minister of the Environment issued a notice on July 27, 2024, announcing a new mandatory PFAS reporting rule. In some ways, the notice is similar to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)...

The Government of Canada has amended regulations under the Impact Assessment Act to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, particularly interprovincial pipelines. These changes shift regulatory responsibility for certain energy projects to the Canada Energy Regulator while removing other project types from federal review following the Supreme Court's 2024 constitutional ruling.

The Canadian government has removed seven types of energy projects from federal impact assessment requirements, shifting review responsibilities to the Canada Energy Regulator and provincial processes. This regulatory change affects pipelines, electrical transmission lines, oil sands facilities, and power plants, fundamentally altering how major energy infrastructure projects will be evaluated and approved across Canada.

Ontario has launched its first call for expressions of interest in carbon capture and storage licences under the new Geologic Carbon Storage Act, targeting Crown-owned pore space beneath lakebeds surrounding the Ontario Peninsula. The detailed submission requirements reveal expectations that proponents have advanced well beyond initial planning stages, with the process serving as a critical test of Ontario's emerging CCS framework and its attractiveness to industry.

Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association "Window on Ottawa", on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette.

Canadian governments and producer-responsibility organizations are refining extended producer responsibility programs across the country, affecting packaging, batteries, electronics, and hazardous products. Recent regulatory changes include expanded collection obligations, adjusted compliance timelines, and new enforcement measures, with significant developments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces.

Canada's carbon markets are undergoing significant transformation as federal and provincial governments reshape their climate policies. The federal consumer carbon tax has been eliminated while industrial carbon pricing remains in effect, and provinces like Québec and Alberta have introduced major regulatory reforms to their cap-and-trade and emissions reduction systems.

Canada is proposing to eliminate its federal zero-emission vehicle sales mandate and replace it with technology-neutral greenhouse gas emission standards. The shift comes amid declining EV sales, affordability concerns, and trade uncertainty with the United States, raising questions about how the automotive industry will balance climate goals with market realities. What will this regulatory transformation mean for manufacturers, consumers, and Canada's electrification timeline?

On October 15, 2026, amendments to Canada's Fisheries Act Authorizations Regulations will streamline the application process for projects affecting fish and fish habitat. How will the new risk-based approach to offsetting requirements, deferred financial guarantees, and expanded ministerial powers reshape regulatory compliance for proponents navigating federal environmental approvals?

Yesterday, the Federal Government announced changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to exempt various projects funded under the Building Canada Plan from federal environmental assessment ("EA") requirements.

Canada's federal government has announced a $3.5 billion rapid response support package in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs against the United States, introducing new temporary employment insurance measures and workforce retention programs. The package extends EI benefits, waives waiting periods, and creates funding opportunities for employers to retain and retrain workers rather than implement large-scale layoffs.

Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association "Window on Ottawa", on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette.

An application has been filed in Quebec to obtain authorization to institute a class action concerning the drugs Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Zepbound, alleging that the widely used diabetes and weight-loss medications...

Recent amendments to Ontario's freedom of information laws have sparked controversy by creating exceptions for ministerial records, while the federal government introduces sweeping privacy legislation...

A class action settlement has been reached with TD Asset Management Inc. for C$70.25 million to resolve the claims asserted on behalf of all persons...

Ontario is implementing major changes to auto insurance accident benefits starting July 1, 2026, shifting most coverage from mandatory to optional. Income replacement, caregiver benefits...

In the last month of 2023, Ontario's Bill 142, Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act, 2023 received Royal Assent, which repeals the Consumer Protection Act...

The United Kingdom program, Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments, provides excellent resources on contaminated site remediation.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has certified a proposed class action against Hatts Off Inc., alleging systemic abuse, neglect and misconduct at youth group homes and foster placements across Ontario spanning nearly four decades. With approximately 180 individuals already identified as potential class members, this certification decision allows the case to proceed on common issues affecting all proposed class members, though the allegations remain unproven and liability is denied by the defendants.

The Ministry of Transportation ("MTO") is taking a closer look at what motivates the decisions Ontarians make about how they travel from city to city.