The proposed changes to the…

The proposed changes to the penalties for polluters are a clear attack on our water, land and air. Where penalties in the Environmental Protection Act, theOntario Water Resources Act, the Nutrient Management Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act currently have daily maximum fines, the amendments proposed would cap the fines as “per contravention” rather than daily maximums. Capping the total fines and removing the ability to have fines applied daily disincentivizes polluters from addressing issues quickly. It makes polluting a small cost of doing business.

For example, currently in the Ontario Water Resources Act the maximum fine for a contravention is $100,000 per day. The amendments proposed would make the maximum fine $200,000 per contravention, rather than a daily fine. In the Nutrient Management Act, the daily fine is currently maximum $10,000 – the amendments cap the total fine per contravention at $10,000. This could have serious implications for nutrient pollution and its contribution to harmful algae blooms in freshwater.

If companies are not heavily penalized for polluting our water, land and air, all residents of Ontario will suffer.