Understanding Environmental Regulations

This course enhances your knowledge and skills by increasing your understanding of current environmental compliance issues. It deals with the current regulatory environment in a variety of jurisdictions, environmental management systems, and many more.

Course Outline

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• update your knowledge and skills in contracting, integrating  health and safety, data management and reporting,
   inspections and investigations, negotiating approvals and environmental management
• gain an understanding of the legislation that directly impacts solid waste, industrial effluents and air emissions
• review practical approaches for environmental compliance as applicable to contaminated site and decommissioning projects,
   hazardous materials, storage tanks and spills
• learn to manage environmental issues carrying substantial liabilities which are subject to regulations of mixed jurisdictions as well
   as regulatory requirements that are uncertain or confusing
• benefit from the opportunity to share your specific situation and problems with other participants and specialists
• interact with instructors, practising professionals from industry, consultants, and regulatory personnel who have extensive
   industrial experience

Description

The environmental “command and control” compliance philosophy continues to dominate the government policy agenda.  The only way to avoid liability for non-compliance is to thoroughly understand regulatory requirements.  This course enhances your knowledge and skills by increasing your understanding of current environmental compliance issues. It deals with the current regulatory environment in a variety of jurisdictions, environmental management systems, liability and the interrelationships among federal, provincial, and municipal agencies.  The regulations are described and references for information provided. Emphasis is then on the application of regulations in the various areas of concern to industry.    

Objectives

To review the current environmental regulations, and their implications for provincial, municipal, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.
To explain application of specific environmental regulations on processes and projects.
To provide knowledge and develop participants' skills in their major functional areas.

Who Should Attend

Environmental managers, coordinators, engineers and scientists and other personnel from environmental as well as from health and safety and environmental departments, corporate/project managers, directors and officers, facility managers, plant superintendents in-house counsel, consultants, regulatory personnel at the federal and provincial levels and municipal personnel responsible for environmental management, waste management and sewage.

Special Features
This course is designed specifically to enhance your knowledge and develop your skills in areas of everyday concern to you.
Industrial environmental professionals with limited previous knowledge will become knowledgeable about environmental regulations, while more experienced professionals will benefit from the reference materials and the updates of the regulations. Both will receive a comprehensive overview of the federal and provincial environmental regulations and how they affect industrial processes and projects.

Chair: Stephen Lamming, AMEC Earth & Environmental

Program Outline

Day I

8:00      Registration and Coffee                          

8:20      Welcome, Introduction, Workshop Preview, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method 
              Session I:  Regulatory Update

8:30      Overview
              Stephen Lamming
            • Historic evolution of environmental regulations
            • Different provincial approaches

9:00      The Canadian Environmental Protection Act
              Stephen Lamming
            • CEPA and its impacts
            • Regulation of toxic substances, export and import
            • Canada-wide Standards 
            • Reporting requirements                      
            • Federal/provincial equivalency provisions

10:15    Refreshments and Networking

10:30    The Fisheries Act
              Marc Dunning, Wickwire Holm  
            • Protection of water resources and fish habitat
            • The Fisheries Act
            • What is fish habitat, project review, information requirements, mitigation and compensation
            • Implications of changes
            • Recent decisions

11:20    Other Federal Environmental Law and Policy 
              Marc Dunning 
            • Species at Risk Act
            • Transportation of Dangerous Goods legislation 
            • Federal works, undertakings, and lands
            • Citizens' rights 
            • Working within the Federal legal environment

12:00    LUNCH

1:00      Environmental Assessment
              Sean Foreman and Marc Dunning, Wickwire Holm
            • The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
            • Assessment triggers
            • The Provincial EA Process
            • Applications to projects

2:15      Refreshments and Networking

2:30      Working with the Community on Environmental Issues
              Stephen Lamming
            • Creating and responding to public input
            • Community concerns
            • Nuisance issues – noise, odour and fugitive dust
            • Working with stakeholders
            • Handling public meetings 
  
3:30      Aboriginal Issues
              Sean Foreman
            • First Nations issues
            • Meeting with First Nations
            • Heritage and land claim issues

4:30      Adjournment

Day II

8:30      Introduction to Provincial Environmental Law, Regulations and Policy
              Stephen Lamming
            • Overview of provincial regulatory scheme
            • Environmental Acts and regulations
            • Other jurisdictions
            • Recent reforms

9:30      Licenses and Approvals
              Stephen Lamming
            • The Licensing and Approvals process
            • Submission of applications
            • Risk assessment
            • Criteria considered when granting approval
            • Planning for abatement
            • Conditions imposed
            • Appeals respecting approvals, conditions or refusal

10:15    Refreshments and Networking

10:30    Water
              Sean Foreman 
            • Applicable provincial legislation
            • Sewer by-laws
            • Water and wastewater
            • Pollution prevention
            • Management strategies
 
11:15    Spills
              Marc Dunning 
            • Emergency response planning
            • Assessing the problem
            • Response activities
            • Reporting requirements 

12:00    Lunch
          
1:00      Enforcement: Inspection and Investigation
              Sean Foreman 
            • Steps that management may follow when faced with an inspection
            • Obligation to cooperate
            • Interview of employees
            • Written statements
            • Search and seizure of documents and important papers
            • Search warrant requirements, solicitor client privilege
            • Admissibility of evidence and the right to legal counsel
  
2:00      Case Study - Inspection
              Sean Foreman
 
2:30      Refreshments and Networking

3:00      Liability and Legal Defence
              Sean Foreman 
            • Due Diligence
            • Prosecutions
            • Civil liability/compensation
            • Legal perspective   managing your liability
            • Duty to cooperate with orders 
            • Due diligence related to the company, directors, officers, employees and agents

4:00      Case Study - Prosecution
              Sean Foreman

4:30      Adjournment

Day III

8:30      Dealing with Contaminated Sites
              Marc Dunning 
            • Applicable legislation
            • Update on contaminated property 
            • Liabilities and opportunities
            • Requirements for remediation
            • Brownfield development
            • Sign-off
            • Problems and pitfalls

9:30      Climate Change
              Stephen Lamming
            • What is happening in our environment? 
            • Mitigation and adaptation

10:00    Refreshments and Networking

10:30    GHG Reduction Measures
              Stephen Lamming
            • Legislative approaches – federal and provincial
            • Standard and guidelines – ISO 14064/5
            • Managing GHG Reduction
            • Carbon taxes, offsets and emissions trading
            • Validation and verification
            • International aspects CDM/JI

12:00    Lunch

1:00      Adaptation to Climate Change
              Stephen Lamming
            • Climate change and projects
            • Anticipated impacts – private and public sector
            • Risk assessment
            • Adaptation strategies

              Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of  Learning Outcomes

2:30      Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment

Faculty

Stephen Lamming
Stephen Lamming is a Senior Associate and Air Quality Scientist within the AMEC Earth & Environmental Mississauga Office.  Dr. Lamming has more than 25 years experience in air quality management including greenhouse gases. His expertise includes meteorology, emissions assessment, impact assessment and climate change mitigation/adaptation. Stephen has worked with municipal, industrial and resource sector clients across Canada and internationally to assess climate impacts; determine emissions; prepare and execute sampling programs; conduct transport and dispersion modelling; assess community impact; develop abatement and monitoring strategies; and prepare permit documentation. He has also been involved in air quality assessment and management studies (including greenhouse gases) as part of the Federal and Provincial Environmental Assessment process for thermal power generation facilities, landfill sites, and linear infrastructure (pipeline). He has prepared greenhouse gas inventories for industry, resource sector and municipal clients and has worked with companies in preparing emissions trading protocol documentation for NOx emission credits and emissions trading. He has qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal and has developed and delivered professional development programs for private and public sector participants in air quality management and greenhouse gas reduction at major centres across the country.

Marc Dunning
Marc Dunning's experience as a Professional Engineer and consultant forms the basis for his legal practice.  Prior to joining Wickwire Holm he worked for a  national environmental consulting firm and has specific expertise advising clients on the technical and legal issues related to the assessment and clean-up of contaminated sites and hazardous materials.  He also represents clients in professional liability and occupational health and safety matters.    Actively involved in the local environmental community, Marc is a Director of both Clean Nova Scotia and the Environmental Services Association of Nova Scotia.  He lectures in the Business & Environmental Law course at Dalhousie Law School and co-authors articles for the Environmental Policy & Law (EPAL) journal with Sean Foreman.

Sean Foreman
Sean Foreman graduated in 1995 from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (B.E.S.) and from Dalhousie Law School in 1998 with his LLB and a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law. Sean has a practice emphasis on commercial litigation, environmental, regulatory and administrative law as a Partner of Wickwire Holm in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Sean is Past-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) National Environmental Energy & Resources Law Section Law Section and the Nova Scotia Branch Section.  He served for 6 years as Director and Past-Treasurer of the Clean Nova Scotia Foundation and is Past-Chair of the Environment Committee of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Nova Scotia. He has lectured in the area of environmental law at various conferences and co-authors articles for the Environmental Policy & Law (EPAL) newsletter. Since 2000, he has lectured as a part-time faculty member at Dalhousie Schulich School of Law and since 2007 now teaches Business & Environmental Law.  Sean was honoured to receive the inaugural Zoe Odei Young Lawyers’ Award from the CBA (NS) in 2003, and one of three ‘Outstanding Young Canadian’ (Vanier) Awards presented across Canada in September 2005, for Leadership and Community Service. Most recently Sean was recipient of the 2007 Dalhousie University Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year Award.ent

Additional Details

Pre-Requisites

Certificates offered

1.7 CEU / 17 PDH

Cancellation Policy

To withdraw from a course, you must send a request, in writing, with the official receipt to our office. Fifteen or more business days in advance: full refund less $50.00 administration charge. Five to fifteen business days in advance: non-refundable credit of equal value for any future EPIC seminar within one year. Credits are transferable within your organization. In case of an unexpected event occurring after this time, you may send someone else to take your place without any additional cost.

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Would have liked more interactive problem solving.

Reviewed by Allen A. 2011