Urban pollution is killing salmon and hurting local waters. Who is responsible? We explore sewage and stormwater in urban settings; how polluted stormwater affects urban creeks and fish; and how stormwater still exists in a regulatory no-man’s land.
Environmental Law Alert Blog
Through our Environmental Law Alert blog, West Coast keeps you up to date on the latest developments and issues in environmental law. This includes:
- proposed changes to the law that will weaken, or strengthen, environmental protection;
- stories and situations where existing environmental laws are failing to protect the environment; and
- emerging legal strategies that could be used to protect our environment.
If you have an environmental story that we should hear about, please e-mail Andrew Gage. We welcome your comments on any of the posts to this blog – but please keep in mind our policies on comments.
Throughout West Coast’s history, we’ve been committed to transforming the legal landscape in ways that are more sustainable, more democratic and more just. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’re reflecting on five key moments that have made the organization into what it is today.
Canada must act now to establish legally binding targets and thresholds that protect marine life, as well as dedicated quiet areas of the ocean, and requirements that all offshore projects must be designed to reduce underwater noise.
Gitxaała Nation is headed back to court to make sure that BC is held accountable for aligning its laws with UNDRIP. Is BC’s legislated commitment to UNDRIP and Indigenous rights just a political promise, or is it legally enforceable?
This article was originally published in Slaw, Canada's online legal magazine, on June 21, 2024.
A once in a decade opportunity: Have your say about how Metro Vancouver and its member communities manage wastewater and stormwater.
This month, the federal government tabled Bill C-73, a Nature Accountability Act, and published a new 2030 Nature Strategy. The question is: will the Strategy and Act work?
Governments are meeting in Ottawa to negotiate a global treaty to regulate plastic pollution. Let's urge Canada to take leadership role in ensuring an effective treaty – including a strong cap on global plastic production.
Get to know Staff Lawyer Deborah Carlson and West Coast Environmental Law's Liveable Sustainable Communities, where she works with communities in BC to develop legal frameworks that support healthy, low-impact urban areas, and community-based planning processes that start from our connection to the natural environment. The program also focuses on climate change challenges and how communities can adapt and thrive with ecosystem-based responses.
At West Coast, we know that safeguarding the environment must be approached from multiple angles. One such angle is ensuring that current and proposed federal environmental laws are just and sustainable.