Environmental Compliance Essentials: introduction to environmental compliance and reporting in Ontario, May 2, 2012

1. Compliance and Reporting
Environmental Compliance Essentials
Dianne Saxe, Ph.D.
May 2, 2012
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2. Overview
n Mandatory reporting
n Compliant reporting
n Protecting Information
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3. Mandatory reporting
n What must be reported? Just about
everything...
n Routine air / water emissions (Fed / prov / munic)
n Spills
n Waste
n Products, e.g.,
n drinking water
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4. Sources of reporting
requirements
n Statutes
& reßgulations (many!): e.g.,
n Environmental Protection Act
n s. 13, 15, 92, 168.15
n Airborne Contaminant Discharge Monitoring &
Reporting Regulation (O.Reg. 127/01)
n Emission Summary & Dispersion Modelling Reports
(O.Reg. 419/04)
n MISA
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5. E.g. Reg. 419
n Must notify MOE: If air emissions may
exceed air standard, guideline, upper risk
threshold and / or may cause adverse effect
n Must submit abatement plan within 30 days
n Must submit ESDM report within 3 months of
potential URT exceedence
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6. More statutes
n Ontario Water Resources Act
n Safe Drinking Water Act
n Nutrient Management Act
n Toxics Reduction Act, 2009
n Pesticides Act
n etc.
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7. Other sources
n By-laws
n Toronto’s Right to Know By-law
n Permits
n Certificate of Approval, PTTW
n Orders
n Control Orders, Provincial Officer Orders
n National Pollutant Release Inventory
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8. Common issues
n Spillreporting
n Contaminated site reporting
n Engineer’s professional obligation to
report
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9. Spill reporting
n What is a spill?
n Abnormal discharge out of a structure,
vehicle or other container
n of a pollutant
n into the natural environment
n that causes or is likely to cause an adverse effect
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10. Is that a spill?
n No minimum quantity
n Need not leave property
n Odours or gas (not noise) can = spill
n Leaks
n Flyrock
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11. Obligations
n Stopspill
n Report
n To MOE, Municipality, owner of pollutant, AND person
in control of pollutant,
n Plus OHSA if impact on a worker
n Contain and clean up
n Restore natural environment to the extent practicable
n Civil liability
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12. Contaminated site reporting
n Is it a “discharge”?
n Is it a “spill”?
n Is it migrating?
n Is it a danger?
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13. Overview
n Mandatory reporting
n Compliant reporting
n Protecting Information
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14. Compliance
n A result
n Essentialgoal of good management
n Usually motivated by regulatory
requirements
n Minimizes short and long term liability
n Can improve efficiency, save money
n Doesn’t happen by accident
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15. Compliant reporting 1
n Identify requirements, e.g.
n Statute/ regulations
n Special reporting requirements? e.g., MISA
regulations apply
n Emissions from equipment used?
n Permits
n CofA, other permits (e.g., PTTW, discharge permits)
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16. Compliant reporting 2
n Detect what needs reporting
n Monitoring
n Internal reporting
n Is someone checking the reports?
n On time
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17. Compliant reporting 3
n Know how to report
n Just the facts, ma’am
n Never guess or speculate
n I don’t know?
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18. Compliant reporting 4
n Make it someone’s job
n Do they know how to do it?
n How do you know?
n How can you prove it?
n Required reporting parameter(s)
n Know all possible sources - Don’t be surprised!
n Processes? (air, water, soil)
n Suppliers?
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19. Compliant reporting 5
n Keep good records
n What did you report?
n When?
n Why?
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20. Compliant reporting 6
n Audit
n Is your system working?
n Do you correct mistakes?
n Do you learn from mistakes?
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21. Environmental management
system?
n Help make it all happen
n E.g. ISO 14001
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22. Overview
n Mandatory reporting
n Compliant reporting
n Protecting Information
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23. Report integrity
n Protectedformats (e.g. locked PDF)
n Secure physical originals
n Encrypted transmission
n Controlled recipients
n Confidentiality agreements?
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24. What can the MOE demand?
n Who’s asking?
n Provincial Officer powers
n Inspector v. Investigator
n Always ask who and why
n Asking for:
n Documents?
n Answers to questions?
n Explanations?
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25. MOE use of reports
n Assess compliance
n Environmental Penalties
n Use in prosecution?
n Self-incrimination?
n R. v. Soules
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26. Solicitor / client privilege
n When to use
n What can it protect?
n How to assert?
n Instruction letter
n “privileged & confidential, for the advice of
counsel”
n Separate from payment
n Data / working papers / drafts / reports
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27. Protecting privilege
n Treat as confidential
n Control distribution and copying
n Keep the lawyer central
n Confidentiality agreements for third
parties
n Buy time to fix the problem?
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28. Public Access
n Mandatory public distribution, e.g.,
n Toxics Reduction Act, 2009
n Safe Drinking Water Act
n Federal National Pollution Release Inventory
(under CEPA, 1999)
n Legal proceedings (exhibits)
n FOI
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29. FOI defence?
n Protected information?
n Trade secrets?
n Other proprietary information?
n Confidentiality claims?
n Clearly marked?
n Kept separate?
n Justified?
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30. Overview
n Mandatory reporting
n Compliant reporting
n Protecting Information
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31. Questions?
SAXE LAW OFFICE
720 Bathurst Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R4
Tel: 416 - 962 - 5882
Fax: 416 - 962 - 8817
Email: dsaxe@envirolaw.com
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