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Environmental

The environmental landscape is constantly changing, with new technologies and regulations emerging at every level of government. Regulation, compliance and remediation issues affect both businesses and individuals, and penalties for violations can be detrimental.

Our skilled team works with clients to achieve their business growth strategies, from navigating new regulation and policy to conducting due diligence reviews.

Our climate change and environmental law groups include transactional lawyers, regulatory specialists and advocates with extensive experience defending against civil claims and prosecutions. Group members are also experienced in advising and advocating for granting land use permissions.

Our professionals work closely with clients to proactively identify opportunities and resolve problems to ensure environmental compliance.

We help organizations across multiple sectors, including:

  • real estate development
  • oil and gas
  • petrochemicals
  • pipelines
  • shipping
  • public and private power projects
  • energy
  • oil sands
  • municipal law
  • land expropriation
Additionally, we advise on provincial, territorial and international environmental laws.

Experience

  • First Nations, government and private proponents on Indigenous issues related to environmental assessments for major projects.
  • The federal government of Canada on the adequacy of consultations Kinder Morgan conducted with First Nations in relation to the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
  • The City of Vancouver in ongoing Federal Court legal proceedings relating to 2015 fuel spill in Burrard Inlet from the vessel Marathassa. This may be a formative case in Canadian law on the scope of recoverable environmental remediation costs under Canada’s current spill response regime.
  • TransLink on all environmental matters in the proposed $1.65 billion Surrey-Newton-Guilford Light Rail Transit Project. This includes assessment of site acquisition and environmental investigation work; allocating environmental risks and liabilities, determining environmental requirements, securing environmental regulatory approvals; and preparing an environmental and socio-economic review.
  • The Town of Georgina in defending against a claim for remediation and lost opportunity costs, and loss of property value arising out of alleged wrongful deposit of contaminated fill on plaintiff’s property. The case notably required forensic analysis more than a decade before the claim was commenced.
  • Filld Inc., a California-based tech startup and one of the first mobile fueling companies in Canada, on environmental regulatory and transportation of dangerous goods approvals required to start operating in Canada.
  • Clients in regulatory investigations and civil proceedings including groundings, allisions, collisions and pollution incidents. We act on minor casualties and complex matters involving pollution, general average, salvage and limitation of liability issues.

Testimonials

Chambers Canada

One commentator noted: "Aside from the substantive excellence of their legal work, their most valuable quality is their thorough and responsive service, which is always comprehensive, timely and value-added."
Another client retained the firm based on its "high quality of work" and additional "expertise in Aboriginal law and public law."

Key Contacts

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Aerial image of forest next to streets of houses | Image aérienne de la forêt à côté des rues des maisons

 

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

 

How a business is evaluated in the market is no longer solely based on its financial success or the products and services it sells. It is also based on reputation and whether it is seen as responsible and responding to investor demands.

 

Clients trust BLG to help them understand and embed ESG into their business strategies.

 

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