WeirFoulds Partner Janet Bobechko provided her comments and observations to Matthew McClearn of The Globe and Mail in an article published on May 10, 2023, entitled “How Ontario’s rules for dealing with excavated dirt aim to clean up the industry”. Janet is a member of the Province of Ontario’s Excess Soils Engagement Group, which is responsible for providing guidance to the province on how to manage excess soil and the creation of the now in-force On Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation and rules.
During any major construction project that requires excavation, one of the most important factors for a developer to consider is how to properly manage excess soil, including crushed rock, with Ontario producing over 25 million cubic metres per year. Although excess soil management can be incredibly costly, the environmental ramifications of potentially contaminated excess soil ending up in the wrong places can be severe.
Janet noted that based on her experience, trucks hauling excess soil “wouldn’t necessarily take it to the location it was meant to go to,” making it imperative for developers to keep track of where their excess soil is deposited. She further elaborated, “Every truckload has to be tracked. It has to have the proper documentation in relation to where the material was generated, the chemical constituents of it and where it’s going.”
Learn more about our Environmental Law Practice Group.
Learn more about Janet Bobechko by visiting her profile page.
Read the full article in The Globe and Mail.