Please direct all media inquiries to Allison Murray, Communications Associate, at allison [at] murraycommunications.org | 604-442-1846.
Press
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…
Read more »Ottawa Sends Victoria an Early Xmas Gift
Funding for Sewage Treatment MEDIA RELEASE December 13, 2004 VICTORIA, BC – Environment Canada has responded to a formal petition filed by Sierra Legal Defence Fund on behalf of local conservation groups regarding Victoria sewage with good news: federal money is available to upgrade Victoria’s complete lack of sewage treatment. Environment Canada stated in their response that approximately $200 million…
Read more »MEDIA BACKGROUNDER: National Sewage Report Card III
Sept. 2004 View the National Report Card Report Card Highlights Evaluation of the 22 cities was based on: level of sewage treatment, volume of raw sewage discharged, compliance with laws and regulations, type of disinfection, method of sludge disposal, prevalence of combined sewer overflows and commitment to improvement Calgary, Edmonton and Whistler: Top of the class with 100% Tertiary treatment…
Read more »BC falling behind rest of Canada in treating sewage National Sewage Report Card results
MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release September 8, 2004 Embarrassingly low grades for coastal cities, Victoria suspended VANCOUVER, BC – A national report card released today reveals that BC coastal communities continue to dump raw sewage into the environment, while more and more communities across Canada and around the world are moving towards more responsible sewage treatment. In its third “National…
Read more »BC Ignored Evidence in Approving Victoria’s Sewage Plan
Media Release: April 13, 2005 VICTORIA, BC – Documents recently obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that Joyce Murray, then BC Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP) ignored overwhelming evidence on the harmful effects of dumping raw sewage into the ocean when she approved Victoria’s Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP). The approved LWMP allows Victoria…
Read more »BC Government thwarts years of effort to force CRD to upgrade sewage facilities
Media Release: April 21, 2005 VICTORIA, BC – Documents recently obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that the current BC Government was pressured by the Capital Regional District (CRD) to approve Victoria’s lackluster 25 year Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) in 2003 and that the province knowingly ignored a 1993 agreement with Washington State to…
Read more »Groups applaud leadership on Victoria sewage
Media Release: July 8, 2005 VICTORIA , BC –Environment Minister Stéphane Dion’s recent statement that he would like to see the city of Victoria, along with all cities across Canada, having a minimum of secondary treatment for its sewage is an important and welcomed step forward in efforts to reduce pollution impacts on our oceans from municipal waste, say local…
Read more »Contaminated sites created by Victoria’s sewage
CRD sampling data reveals high levels of toxics near outfalls Media Release: November 15, 2005 VICTORIA, BC – Sierra Legal Defence Fund, on behalf of the Georgia Strait Alliance and T Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, made an urgent request today that the Province of British Columbia formally designate the underwater areas surrounding Victoria’s sewage outfalls as contaminated sites. The groups…
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