Category Archives: Environmental

Charter and Oil and Gas Issues to Await Another Day: A Disappointing End to the Kelly Appeal?

Case Considered: Kelly v. Alberta (Energy and Utilities Board), 2009 ABCA 161

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In an earlier post, I suggested that a recent development in the Kelly appeal would likely lead the Court of Appeal to declare the appeal moot (see “An Important Development in the Kelly Appeal“). I also suggested that, although this would not be a surprising decision, it would amount to a disappointing end for an appeal which held out promises of elucidating important legal issues. The Court of Appeal has indeed dismissed the Kelly appeal as moot. Although this result is certainly disappointing from a legal point of view, it is perhaps less so from a societal and public participation point of view.

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A rare species of tort in the Spray Valley: Abuse of public office

Case considered: Genesis Land Development Corp. v. Alberta, 2009 ABQB 221

PDF version: A rare species of tort in the Spray Valley: Abuse of public office

My work in environmental law began in the late 1990s as part of the opposition to a mountain resort proposed by a land company based in Calgary – Genesis Land Developers – to be located along the eastern boundary of Banff National Park in the Spray Valley. In the planning stages since the 1960s, this resort proposal had only partial regulatory approval by 1998 when its legal ownership was acquired by Genesis. The subsequent Genesis development proposal consisted of a four-season mountain resort in the Spray Valley, including a tour boat operation on Spray Lakes, helicopter and cat-assisted skiing on Tent Ridge, and a 400 bed accommodation facility. Of these three components, the boating operation was essentially approved when Genesis acquired ownership of the proposal. The regulatory approval process was in full swing until May 31, 2000, when the Government of Alberta announced the project would not be approved and the Spray Valley would be designated as a provincial park. This turn of events led to the current proceedings.

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The Tromsø Meeting of the Parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears: A Comment on Three Aspects of the Meeting Report

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: The Tromsø Meeting of the Parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears: A Comment on Three Aspects of the Meeting Report

Document Commented On: Meeting of the parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, Tromsø, Norway, 17 – 19 March 2009 Outcome of Meeting

A few weeks ago (March 17 – 19, 2009) the parties to the 1973 Polar Bear Agreement met in Tromsø to consider the further implementation of the Agreement. This is a significant breakthrough. Apart from a meeting of the parties back in 1981 when the Parties decided to continue the Agreement in force as contemplated by Article X(6) of the Agreement and in informal meeting of the range states in 2007, the parties have never considered the further implementation of this Agreement.

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The Eviscerating of Federal Environmental Assessment in Canada

Considered: Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, S.C. 1992, c. 37
Regulations Amending the Exclusion List Regulations, SOR/2009-88
Infrastructure Projects Environmental Assessment Adaptation Regulations, SOR/2009-89
Regulations and Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement

PDF Version: The Eviscerating of Federal Environmental Assessment in Canada

Introduction
A cornerstone of sustainable development is environmental assessment. Through environmental assessment (“EA”) processes regulators identify and assess the environmental, social, and economic consequences of proposed projects to assist them in determining whether they should be approved, and if so, under what conditions. Because of EA, projects are better planned and have reduced environmental impacts and social costs. However, notwithstanding the benefits of EA, recently the federal government has announced its plans to greatly reduce the number of federal EAs in Canada and to limit the application of federal legislation designed to protect our navigable waters and fisheries.

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R. v. Syncrude Canada: The Case of The 500 Dead Ducks

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Alberta Environment and Environment Canada have laid charges against Syncrude Canada in relation to the toxic substances in its Aurora Mines tailing pond that resulted in the death of 500 migratory birds in 2008.

Environment Canada has charged Syncrude for violating section 5.1 of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, S.C. 1994, c. 22 by depositing substances harmful to migratory birds in its tailing pond. This is the same information as sworn by John Custer in his private prosecution that commenced in January (See my earlier post Environmental Private Prosecution Update: John Custer v. Syncrude Canada).

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