Essentials of Canadian Law Environmental Law

494 Pages·2013·2.923 MB·English

by  Jamie Benidickson

EnvironmEntal law
F o u r t h E d i t i o n
Other books in the Essentials of Canadian Law Series
Immigration Law Canadian Telecommunications Law
International Trade Law The Law of Torts 4/e
Family Law Intellectual Property Law 2/e
Copyright Law The Law of Evidence 6/e
The Law of Sentencing Animals and the Law
Administrative Law Income Tax Law 2/e
Ethics and Canadian Criminal Law Fundamental Justice
Securities Law Mergers, Acquisitions, and Other
Changes of Corporate Control 2/e
Computer Law 2/e
Criminal Procedure 2/e
Maritime Law
Criminal Law 5/e
Insurance Law
Personal Property Security Law 2/e
International Human Rights Law
The Law of Contracts 2/e
The Law of Trusts 2/e
Youth Criminal Justice Law 3/e
Franchise Law
Constitutional Law 4/e
Pension Law
Bank and Customer Law in Canada 2/e
Legal Ethics and Professional
Responsibility 2/e The Law of Equitable Remedies 2/e
Refugee Law The Charter of Rights and
Freedoms 5/e
Statutory Interpretation 2/e
National Security Law: Canadian
Practice in International Perspective
Remedies: The Law of Damages 2/e
Public International Law 2/e
Individual Employment Law 2/e
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law
The Law of Partnerships and
Corporations 3/e
Civil Litigation
International and Transnational
Criminal Law
Conflict of Laws
Detention and Arrest
E s s e n t i a l s o f
C a n a d i a n L a w
EnvironmEntal
law
F o u r t h E d i t i o n
Jamie Benidickson
Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
Environmental Law, fourth edition
© Irwin Law Inc, 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a re-
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1 Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E5.
Published in 2013 by
Irwin Law Inc
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Suite 206
Toronto, ON
M5H 3G8
www.irwinlaw.com
ISBN: 978-1-55221-345-2
e-book ISBN: 978-1-55221-346-9
Library and archives canada cataloguing in Publication
Benidickson, Jamie, author
Environmental law / Jamie Benidickson, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. —
Fourth edition.
(Essentials of Canadian law)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-55221-345-2 (pbk.). — ISBN 978-1-55221-346-9 (pdf)
1. Environmental law — Canada. I. Title. II. Series: Essentials of Canadian law
KE3619.B46 2013 344.7104’6 C2013-904088-9
KF3775.ZA2B46 2013 C2013-904089-7
The publisher acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada
through the Canada Book Fund for its publishing activities.
We acknowledge the assistance of the OMDC Book Fund, an initiative of Ontario
Media Development Corporation.
Printed and bound in Canada.
1 2 3 4 5 17 16 15 14 13
Summary
tablE oF ContEntS
FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1: Basic Concepts in Environmental Law 11
CHAPTER 2: The Constitutional Allocation of Environmental
Responsibilities and Interjurisdictional Coordination 31
CHAPTER 3: Environmental Rights 52
CHAPTER 4: The International Context of Canadian Environmental
Law 70
CHAPTER 5: Civil Liability for Environmental Harm 101
CHAPTER 6: Environmental Regulations and Approvals 122
CHAPTER 7: Administrative Compliance Mechanisms 141
CHAPTER 8: Offences, Prosecution, and Penalties 161
CHAPTER 9: Corporate Environmental Obligations and Directors’ and
Officers’ Liability 191
CHAPTER 10: Environmental Valuation and Compensation 215
CHAPTER 11: Remediation and Restoration of Contaminated Lands 231
v
vi EnvironmEntal law
CHAPTER 12: Environmental Assessment 254
CHAPTER 13: Toxic Substances 275
CHAPTER 14: Endangered Spaces and Species 301
CHAPTER 15: Environmental Law and the Citizen 331
CHAPTER 16: Consultation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Voluntary
Measures 347
CHAPTER 17: Economic Instruments 367
CHAPTER 18: Environmental Reporting and Information Sources 388
CHAPTER 19: Climate Change: Canadian Legal and Policy Responses 397
CONCLUSION 418
APPENDIx 423
TABLE OF CASES 425
INDEx 443
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 475
dEtailEd
tablE oF ContEntS
FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii
introduCtion 1
a. Law and the environment 1
B. Policy objectives and Legal Techniques for environmental Protection 2
c. The scope of environmental Law 6
d. The institutional Framework for environmental Responsibility 7
e. overview of the Book 9
CHAPTER 1:
baSiC ConCEptS in EnvironmEntal law 11
a. environment 11
B. Pollution 14
c. conservation 16
d. sustainable development 18
e. Biodiversity and ecological integrity 21
F. The Polluter-Pays Principle 23
G. The Precautionary Principle and Pollution Prevention 24
vii
viii EnvironmEntal law
H. adaptive management 27
i. conclusion 28
Further Readings 29
CHAPTER 2:
thE ConStitutional alloCation oF
EnvironmEntal rESponSibilitiES and
intErjuriSdiCtional Coordination 31
a. introduction 31
B. sources of Federal environmental authority 34
c. sources of Provincial environmental Jurisdiction 38
d. municipal Government and the environment 40
e. aboriginal Rights, Resources, and the environment 42
F. intergovernmental coordination and environmental Protection 46
1) Intergovernmental Consultation 46
2) Intergovernmental Bilateral Agreements 47
3) The Harmonization Accord and the Agreement on Internal Trade 48
Further Readings 51
CHAPTER 3:
EnvironmEntal rightS 52
a. Human and constitutional Rights to environmental Quality 52
B. The Charter and environmental Law 57
c. The Legislative Basis of environmental Rights 63
Further Readings 68
CHAPTER 4:
thE intErnational ContExt oF Canadian
EnvironmEntal law 70
a. international environmental Law and organizations 70
B. international institutions and environmental Protection in canada 74
1) Great Lakes Water Quality, Diversion, and Exports 74
2) The Arctic Circumpolar Environment 79
3) Controlling Acid Rain 80
4) Protecting the Ozone Layer 83
Detailed Table of Contents ix
5) Climate Change, Global Warming, and the Kyoto Protocol 85
c. international Trade and the environment 88
1) The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World
Trade Organization (WTO) 89
2) The Canada–United States and North American Free Trade
Agreements 93
Further Readings 99
CHAPTER 5:
Civil liability For EnvironmEntal harm 101
a. common Law causes of action 102
1) Nuisance 102
2) Negligence 107
3) Strict Liability 111
4) Breach of Statutory Duty 113
5) Trespass 113
6) Riparian Rights 114
B. assessing the common Law 114
c. statutory civil Liabilities 116
d. class action Legislation 117
Further Readings 120
CHAPTER 6:
EnvironmEntal rEgulationS and approvalS 122
a. standard-setting 123
1) Introduction 123
2) Air 125
3) Water 126
4) Drinking Water 128
B. Permits, Licensing, and approvals 129
c. appeal mechanisms and Public Participation 133
Further Readings 139
CHAPTER 7:
adminiStrativE ComplianCE mEChaniSmS 141
a. compliance and administrative enforcement 141