Aggregate hearings should include rural residents who are most affected

May 10th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

Our client, North Dufferin  Agricultural  and Community Taskforce, Inc. (NDACT) was surprised on Friday May 4 to learn that the Standing Committee on General Government would be commencing the review of the Aggregate Resources Act the following Monday May 7, and that aggregate resource reps were already informed and scheduled to appear.

To make matters worse, no hearings were scheduled in rural communities.  These communities are most affected by the policies in the ARA, which unfairly favour aggregate extraction over other policy objectives.  Our client wrote to the Standing Committee on General Government asking for more time for a more thorough review and for rural hearings.  This request was entirely reasonable and was granted yesterday when the Committee moved to request travelling hearings.

Read Carl Cosack, chair of NDACT’s letter here.

The costs of hiding environmental information

April 26th, 2012 by Iler Campbell LLP

Laura Bowman wrote our Pro Bono column on rabble.ca this month. In it, she discusses access to environmental information:

For citizens and NGOs who want to challenge environmental decisions, the biggest obstacle is usually obtaining information about the potential environmental effects of a decision or project.  In the 1990s, the Ontario government passed the Environmental Bill of Rights which was supposed to make access to environmental information easier.

Read the column here

Rumours about forthcoming federal environmental assessment changes abound

April 19th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

On April 17, Joe Oliver, federal Minister of Natural Resources made announcements and gave interviews about the fate of Canada’s beleaguered federal environmental assessment law, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.  No specific amendments have been provided, so it is difficult to understand exactly what the government is proposing to do.

Continue reading “Rumours about forthcoming federal environmental assessment changes abound”

Proposed Changes to Fish Habitat Provisions of the Fisheries Act

April 18th, 2012 by Laura Bowman and Paula Boutis

In mid‑March 2012, a number of news outlets reported that the Harper government is looking at significant changes to the wording of the Fisheries Act after they were leaked to Otto Langer.

Continue reading “Proposed Changes to Fish Habitat Provisions of the Fisheries Act”

Important Environmental Law Amendments in the Ontario 2012 budget bill

April 17th, 2012 by Laura Bowman

The Ontario Government recently introduced Bill 55 – Strong Action for Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2012.   Budget bills are exempt from the posting and public consultation requirements of the Environmental Bill of Rights.  As a result, the public does not have the same opportunities to contribute to decision making when a number of environmentally significant laws are changed in a budget Bill.  Overall the budget Bill adds exemptions both in law and through additional regulatory powers to a variety of environmental processes.

Continue reading “Important Environmental Law Amendments in the Ontario 2012 budget bill”

Toronto Cyclists Union Calls for Full Environmental Assessment Process on Jarvis Street

April 3rd, 2012 by Iler Campbell LLP

The Toronto Cyclists Union released a legal opinion (pdf)  by Laura Bowman today which outlines the case that the City of Toronto must conduct a Schedule C Environmental Assessment in order to remove the Jarvis Street bike lanes and re-install the centre reversible lane. The bike lanes have been slated to be removed this summer.

In an article on spacingtoronto.ca, Mathew Blackett praises the action, writing, “instead of the typical cycling activist action of taking over an intersection and holding bikes high overhead to piss off drivers, the Union is taking the game to the City.”

The Union has given the city ten days to respond after which they will submit their request to the Minister of the Environment.

Continue reading “Toronto Cyclists Union Calls for Full Environmental Assessment Process on Jarvis Street”