Please direct all media inquiries to Allison Murray, Communications Associate, at allison [at] murraycommunications.org | 604-442-1846.
Press
Group says polluting salmon farms should be charged
August 29, 2001 VANCOUVER — The T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation says polluting salmon farms should face prosecutions and fines like other polluters. A newly released document from the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection shows that 47 percent of all salmon farm sites had potential or probable impacts to marine life on the seabed. Most of these sites…
Read more »Greening up that Sheen
by Sarah Verstegen from Strait Talk, Summer 2004 In mid May I received the first call of the season for a holding tank pump-out by Pumpty Dumpty, the pump-out boat serving Saanich Inlet. Since I was on my way out of town, heading to Ladysmith for GSA’s annual general meeting, I forwarded the request. The volunteer crew from Saanich Inlet…
Read more »Species at Risk Act – Backgrounder
The Species at Risk Act (SARA) was first introduced into the House of Commons in February of 2001. The new Act is the result of numerous cross-Canada consultations and built on the policy of previous legislative proposals over a nine-year period. The overall goal of the Species at Risk Act is to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct or lost…
Read more »Killer Whale recovery strategy release puts lawsuit off — for now
June 26, 2007 VANCOUVER, BC – After a year’s delay and a threat of legal action, the federal government has released the long-awaited recovery strategy for BC’s endangered Southern resident killer whales and threatened Northern resident killer whales. Environmentalists, who prompted the recovery strategy’s release by threatening a lawsuit, offered cautious praise. They noted that the most essential component of…
Read more »Victoria Sewage Backgrounder
May 13, 2005 Mid 1960 – Victoria’s beaches are covered with feces as multiple outfalls discharge sewage directly at shoreline. Decision made to combine outfalls and pump 300 meters offshore;Late 1960’s – Victoria makes the decision to install long outfall pipes (1000 meters) instead of building a treatment plant;Early 1970’s – Victoria builds long outfall pipes;Mid 1970’s – Victoria installs…
Read more »Environmental review finds pollution dumped in Burrard Inlet at record levels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2003 In 2002, BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (MWLAP) effluent permits allowed 769 million cubic meters of industrial pollution to be dumped into Burrard Inlet. And the amount of effluent entering the Inlet has increased dramatically from 32 million meters in 1957 when permits were first issued. These were among the findings…
Read more »Groups join battle to get polluters to clean up their act
August 10, 2004 MEDIA RELEASE – For Immediate Release VANCOUVER, BC – A coalition of environmental groups announced today that they are seeking to intervene in a precedent setting case to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the clean up of one of BC’s most severely contaminated sites. Although the province ordered several parties to participate in…
Read more »Canada’s top court hears landmark legal battle over toxic site
Intervenors argue court should uphold polluter pays principle January 20, 2005 MEDIA RELEASE OTTAWA – On behalf of a coalition of environmental groups, Sierra Legal Defence Fund lawyers will be in the Supreme Court of Canada today intervening in a landmark case that could impact how the estimated 30,000 contaminated sites across the country are dealt with. The groups are…
Read more »Top court slams door on polluter pays loophole
Environmentalists hail unanimous decision in BC Hydro contaminated site case January 21, 2005 OTTAWA – In an unexpectedly quick decision from Canada’s top court, the Supreme Court of Canada today closed a legal gap that would have allowed BC Hydro to escape liability for cleaning up one of BC most severely contaminated sites. Environmentalists are hailing the decision as a…
Read more »Groups petition Auditor General to demand sewage treatment upgrades in Canada’s coastal cities
Media Release For Immediate Release April 28, 2004 VANCOUVER, BC – Sierra Legal Defence Fund submitted a formal petition to the federal Auditor General today alleging that the Government of Canada is failing to adequately regulate the release of toxic substances such as PCBs from sewage systems in many of Canada’s coastal municipalities. Filed on behalf of the Georgia Strait…
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