Latest news with #Ecojustice
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Large workers union sues Health Canada over pesticide safety failures
Health Canada's failure to enforce safety data sheet requirements exposes workers to unlawful harm Photos from a workshop held in Leamington, Ont. on Sunday, June 8, 2025 LEAMINGTON, Ontario, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Traditional territories of several First Nations including the Caldwell, the Attiwonderonk, the Anishinabewaki, the Mississauga, and the Myaamia -- United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW Canada) have launched a new legal case challenging Health Canada's unlawful failure to protect agricultural workers by not enforcing safety data sheet requirements under the federal Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Without access to critical information about the chemicals they are handling, agricultural workers are unable to protect themselves from hazardous pesticides at work. The PCPA mandates Health Canada to ensure that pesticide registrants provide pesticide safety data sheets to workplaces. Safety data sheets follow international standards and include essential safety information on the toxic properties of chemicals, and the health conditions that may result from their use. By failing to enforce this requirement, Health Canada is putting the health of agricultural workers, especially migrant farm workers, at risk. The case is being brought by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Canada), represented by lawyers from Ecojustice. UFCW Canada represents more than 2,000 agricultural workers in different contexts and also advocates for non-unionized primary agricultural workers. Ecojustice is Canada's largest environmental law charity. Francisco, Guatemalan Agricultural worker said: 'The boss gives us the pesticide, tells us to fill the tanks, and sends us to spray the plants. No gloves, no masks, no protection at all, nobody showed me how to protect myself nor how to handle the pesticide. The greenhouse is packed with workers, all of us breathing in the chemical. If we complain, we are fired and deported. So we keep quiet. 'I don't know how many times I have felt my skin burning, my head spinning, or my stomach turning until I throw up. But what can I do? This job in Canada is my only chance, my family back in Guatemala depends on me. Without it, my kids won't go to school. The boss knows that and takes advantage of that.' Shawn Haggery, National President, UFCW Canada said: "Migrant agricultural workers are among the most vulnerable workers in Canada and are continuously exposed to hazardous and dangerous chemicals in the workplace. Our union has long-advocated for improved working conditions for migrant workers; our most recent report focused on the health and safety challenges faced by migrant workers, including chemical hazards. Health Canada must take action and enforce worker information requirements for pesticides." Laura Bowman, lawyer, Ecojustice said: 'Frontline agricultural workers are highly exposed to pesticides and other toxic chemicals at work. They should have access to the same safety information that is available to workers exposed to hazardous chemicals in other contexts. 'Canada has failed to implement key pesticide safety provisions for agricultural workers, who are often migrant workers. These same workers suffer from inadequate labour and immigration protections that make it even more difficult for them to protect themselves from toxic chemicals at work. Health Canada must stop adding to this discriminatory and unequal situation by failing to implement worker information requirements for pesticides.' Agricultural workers face dangerous health risks on the job Agricultural workers face a complex array of systemic barriers to a safe, healthy workplace. Large farming operations are exempt from a wide array of standards that protect other workers from hazards. In some provinces this includes exclusion from labour legislation and key provisions in occupational health and safety legislation. Exposure to pesticides is a serious issue for agricultural workers. Even where workers do not use pesticides, the presence of pesticides in workplaces provides a potential route of exposure. Human studies continue to show high potential exposures to pesticides and increased rates of related chronic illnesses such as cancers among populations exposed through agricultural work. Migrant agricultural workers at increased risk Canada increasingly relies on migrant farm workers to grow fruits and vegetables. These workers are subjected to draconian immigration and labour rules that prevent them from protecting themselves. In 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Tomoya Obokata, concluded that migrant workers (including those in the agricultural sector) were among groups vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery within Canada. A report from UFCW Canada emphasizes the increased and unique health and safety challenges faced by migrant workers due to their living and working conditions, lack of access to healthcare, and language barriers. Migrant farm workers have raised concerns regarding lack of access to information on chemicals used on farms and have reported acute and chronic symptoms of pesticide poisoning. Enforcing the legal requirement to provide pesticide safety data sheets to employers is an important first step in ensuring that vulnerable workers' right to know about chemical exposures on farms is actualized. Media Backgrounder: More information about the case and the overlapping labour and immigration vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers. About UFCW Canada (the United Food and Commercial Workers Union) represents more than 250,000 members across Canada working in every sector of the food industry from field to table. For over three decades, UFCW Canada has been the leading voice and advocate for domestic and migrant agricultural workers. Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada's most urgent environmental problems. As Canada's largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax. For media inquiries Rosemary Quinsey, National Communications Representative, UFCW Canada647-463-4799, Zoryana Cherwick, Communications Strategist | Ecojustice1-800-926-7744 ext. 277, zcherwick@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in to access your portfolio
Globe and Mail
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Conservation groups warn of loss of species protections in Ontario's Bill 5
Environmental advocates are warning specific elements in a controversial government bill will cause irrevocable harm to species and ecosystems across Ontario if it becomes law. Committee hearings on Bill 5 began last week when Indigenous leaders were among those who voiced their opposition to a provision in the legislation that allows for the creation of 'special economic zones' where existing regulations can be sidestepped to permit projects to move forward at the will of cabinet. The omnibus bill would replace Ontario's existing Endangered Species Act with new legislation that biologists say would significantly reduce protections for species at risk. As hearings resumed on Monday, conservation authorities and advocacy groups were set to detail their concerns. 'It's hard to see much of a future for conservation in Ontario,' if the bill proceeds as written, said Laura Bowman, a lawyer with the environmental organization Ecojustice Canada, who appeared before MPPs on Monday. Premier Doug Ford has touted the legislation as a way to fast-track mining in the Ring of Fire, a region in northern Ontario where the government says untapped stores of critical minerals could fortify the province's economy in response to tariffs and threats from the United States. Bill 5 could impact these six species in Ontario Ontario mining bill dispute could lead to road, rail and mine blockades, First Nation chiefs warn The bill 'maintains strong environmental protections while eliminating red tape and improving enforcement,' said Alex Catherwood, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks in a statement to The Globe and Mail. Opponents of the bill say this approach creates a false dichotomy that pits nature against progress. Instead, they argue, environmental protection should be seen as an essential component in creating long term prosperity. 'Protecting endangered species – that's not red tape. That's an essential safeguard for a society,' said Tony Morris, conservation policy and campaigns director for Ontario Nature, who also presented on Monday. In the unfolding debate over the bill, environmental advocates have stressed that Ontario has a long history of robust protections and the ability to develop resources without gutting species rules. 'We could take a lot of pride in producing resources in this country, and I think we have the opportunity to produce them in ways that are different to other parts of the world,' said Dalal Hanna, a professor of conservation science at Carleton University. 'And yet we're not leaning into that by making this kind of bill.' When it was passed in 2007, Ontario's Endangered Species Act was considered a leading example of conservation policy that other provinces could seek to emulate. The changes proposed in Bill 5, along with the Ford government's recent legacy of promoting development-first legislation, have significantly diminished that reputation. 'I would say this puts Ontario in the bottom third' of the provinces for environmental protections, said Joseph Bennett, also a professor at Carleton University, who recently led a comparative study of provincial species regulation. Opinion: Doug Ford is running roughshod over the environment and the law. Sound familiar? Among the many changes proposed in Bill 5 is the redefinition of the term 'habitat.' Where the previous Act defined a habitat as any area that a species relies on, the new definition is limited to the dwelling place of the species: its den, sleeping area, or roots and the area immediately surrounding it. Morgan Piczak, a post-doctoral researcher at Dalhousie University, likens the new legislation to protecting someone's bedroom but not their kitchen or the hallway between them. 'What good is it to have a kitchen if you can't get to it?' Dr. Piczak said. Also removed from the legislation is any mention of species recovery, which environmentalists say was a strength of the previous act. Without the goal of recovery, species may be stuck at the brink of extinction, with no legal incentives to bring them back. 'The government is essentially giving up on the idea that species recovery is possible,' said Mr. Morris, with Ontario Nature. Under the current policy, any activities that might harm an endangered species require a permit from the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Bill 5 introduces a registration system that grants anybody permission to destroy habitat or the species themselves, so long as the activity is registered with the Ministry. 'If you wanted to bulldoze the den and shoot the animal, all you have to do is file a form,' said Ms. Bowman, with Ecojustice Canada. 'You could have situations where the last viable population is being wiped out by filing a form online.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rocky Mountain coal mine in Alberta takes next step to expansion
The fate of a massive coal mine expansion on the doorsteps of Jasper National Park is now in the hands of Alberta's energy regulator. The company submitted a formal application in April. It comes three months after the province officially lifted its moratorium on new coal mine development on the eastern slopes, though the proposed expansion was not subject to the moratorium. The Narwhal dug into the public concern surrounding the proposed expansion of the coal mine. While most of the political attention in the province has been focused on opening mines along the southern stretch of the mountain range, the existing Vista coal mine has been working to significantly extend its production of thermal coal, burned to generate electricity. 'Simply put, the Vista expansion would carve up the Rocky Mountains, threaten endangered species, Indigenous Rights, water quality and community health,' Fraser Thomson, a staff lawyer with Ecojustice who represents Keepers of the Water and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society in opposition of the project, said in an interview. The expansion has faced delays as the federal Impact Assessment Agency mulled a review of the project before ultimately deciding not to proceed with an assessment, which would have considered adverse impacts on areas under federal jurisdiction, including migratory birds, waterways and fish. Instead, it will be up to the Alberta Energy Regulator to conduct a provincial assessment and determine whether to approve the company's application. Thomson describes it as one of the last regulatory hurdles for the U.S.-based owners to clear, and it's not yet known how substantive the review will be. 'If the [Alberta Energy Regulator] decides that this will be undertaken quickly, with little public involvement, then that poses pretty significant risks,' he said. 'As most Albertans know, there can be profound impacts from development of coal in our Rocky Mountains.' The issue has been front and center in the province ever since the United Conservative government of Jason Kenney first removed a moratorium on coal mining along the Rockies and then bowed to public pressure to reinstate the old rules. The current government has once again lifted the decades-old restrictions. Public concerns over water contamination and pollution, particularly among ranchers and nearby municipalities, were central, as was the idea of open-pit mines along the Rocky Mountains. The regulator is accepting statements of concern regarding the project until May 22. Coral Hulse, a spokesperson for the regulator, said anyone who believes they may be adversely impacted by the project can submit a statement, and that those statements can prolong the process. Hulse also said it hasn't been determined whether the project will have a public hearing. 'Our decision to hold a hearing is made on a case-by-case basis,' she wrote in response to questions from The Narwhal. The Vista mine, owned by Coalspur Mines Ltd., is located approximately 280 kilometers (174 miles) west of Edmonton, nestled into the eastern slopes of the Rockies near the town of Hinton, Alberta. All of the coal produced at the mine is shipped by rail and then overseas, where it is used to create electricity. Opened in 2019, the mine currently has a maximum production limit of 7.5 million tons of coal per year, but the company says that's expected to drop in the coming years, before tapering off completely by 2032 when the first phase of the mine will close. 'Phase II is effectively a continuation of the Vista Mine surface mine,' the company said in its application to the regulator. 'It is proposed to commence in 2026, when current mine fleets would expect to be reduced, and it will operate for 12 years, therefore prolonging the life of the mine and sustain the full workforce for an additional 12 years.' It expects the expansion will produce 5.5 million tons of coal per year. In 2022, Canada produced 19.3 million tons of thermal coal, a decline of more than 15 million tons from 2013. Coalspur Mines has asked for access to 5.4 billion liters (approximately 1.2 million gallons) of water as part of its application to the regulator. Daniel Cheater, another Ecojustice lawyer working on the Vista mine file, said the bulk of the water will be taken from the McLeod River, a critical habitat for rainbow and bull trout, both of which are listed as species at risk. 'Coalspur has also consistently demonstrated a failure to manage tailings from the existing Phase I of the Vista coal mine,' he added, noting the company's own application says water from tailings will seep through into the nearby McPherson Creek 'approximately 11 to 160 years' after wastewater stops flowing into the ponds. The project could also completely dry up both McPherson Creek and one of its tributaries. The company plans to divert water from the McLeod River post-mining, but notes recovery will take decades. The company did not respond to an interview request. The existing mine has not been without its challenges. In 2021, two years after it opened, the mine entered into creditor protection as its finances collapsed. It clawed its way back to life in 2022, in part by avoiding full payment of debts to local businesses. When it initiated creditor protection proceedings, Coalspur owed nearly $5 million to local businesses, ranging from car dealerships to oilfield services to welding shops. In the final affidavit submitted as part of the creditor protection process by Coalspur's president and CEO Michael Beyer, an American living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Beyer said emerging from the proceedings intact, as opposed to a fire sale of assets, was a better outcome for all creditors and would enable relationships into the future. The mine is a significant economic driver in the region and is supported by the Ermineskin Cree Nation, which has signed benefit agreements with Coalspur. A representative with the nation's consultation department did not respond to an interview request prior to publication. The expansion comes at a time of heightened international political and economic tension, not to mention the increasing threat of climate change. The proposal also clashes with a pledge by the federal Liberal government in 2021 to phase out exports of thermal coal by 2030. 'It's hard to see how it benefits our country to allow this company to build one of the biggest thermal coal mines in Canadian history on the edge of Jasper National Park,' Thomson said. 'I think a lot of Canadians right now think that we should be investing in Canadian industries and preserving our export capacity, the limited export capacity that we have, for goods that keep profits inside our country and that don't just profit American companies.' Thomson is also concerned about the emissions impacts of amping up coal production. The company says it expects emissions from its operations to be approximately 352,000 tons per year. That does not account for the carbon dioxide that would be released when the coal is ultimately used; burning 5.5 million tons of coal generates about twice that mass in carbon dioxide. Thomson said the emissions from the mine at peak production could be equivalent to that of 4 million cars, when factoring in burning the coal overseas. 'Given the events of the last few months, we often lose sight of the fact that we are also in a climate crisis, and thermal coal is one of the world's dirtiest fossil fuels,' he said. 'It really has no place in a world serious about tackling the climate crisis.' This story was produced by The Narwhal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Rocky Mountain coal mine in Alberta takes next step to expansion
Rocky Mountain coal mine in Alberta takes next step to expansion The fate of a massive coal mine expansion on the doorsteps of Jasper National Park is now in the hands of Alberta's energy regulator. The company submitted a formal application in April. It comes three months after the province officially lifted its moratorium on new coal mine development on the eastern slopes, though the proposed expansion was not subject to the moratorium. The Narwhal dug into the public concern surrounding the proposed expansion of the coal mine. While most of the political attention in the province has been focused on opening mines along the southern stretch of the mountain range, the existing Vista coal mine has been working to significantly extend its production of thermal coal, burned to generate electricity. "Simply put, the Vista expansion would carve up the Rocky Mountains, threaten endangered species, Indigenous Rights, water quality and community health," Fraser Thomson, a staff lawyer with Ecojustice who represents Keepers of the Water and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society in opposition of the project, said in an interview. The expansion has faced delays as the federal Impact Assessment Agency mulled a review of the project before ultimately deciding not to proceed with an assessment, which would have considered adverse impacts on areas under federal jurisdiction, including migratory birds, waterways and fish. Instead, it will be up to the Alberta Energy Regulator to conduct a provincial assessment and determine whether to approve the company's application. Thomson describes it as one of the last regulatory hurdles for the U.S.-based owners to clear, and it's not yet known how substantive the review will be. "If the [Alberta Energy Regulator] decides that this will be undertaken quickly, with little public involvement, then that poses pretty significant risks," he said. "As most Albertans know, there can be profound impacts from development of coal in our Rocky Mountains." The issue has been front and center in the province ever since the United Conservative government of Jason Kenney first removed a moratorium on coal mining along the Rockies and then bowed to public pressure to reinstate the old rules. The current government has once again lifted the decades-old restrictions. Public concerns over water contamination and pollution, particularly among ranchers and nearby municipalities, were central, as was the idea of open-pit mines along the Rocky Mountains. The regulator is accepting statements of concern regarding the project until May 22. Coral Hulse, a spokesperson for the regulator, said anyone who believes they may be adversely impacted by the project can submit a statement, and that those statements can prolong the process. Hulse also said it hasn't been determined whether the project will have a public hearing. "Our decision to hold a hearing is made on a case-by-case basis," she wrote in response to questions from The Narwhal. Proposed new phase of coal mine would extend production by 12 years The Vista mine, owned by Coalspur Mines Ltd., is located approximately 280 kilometers (174 miles) west of Edmonton, nestled into the eastern slopes of the Rockies near the town of Hinton, Alberta. All of the coal produced at the mine is shipped by rail and then overseas, where it is used to create electricity. Opened in 2019, the mine currently has a maximum production limit of 7.5 million tons of coal per year, but the company says that's expected to drop in the coming years, before tapering off completely by 2032 when the first phase of the mine will close. "Phase II is effectively a continuation of the Vista Mine surface mine," the company said in its application to the regulator. "It is proposed to commence in 2026, when current mine fleets would expect to be reduced, and it will operate for 12 years, therefore prolonging the life of the mine and sustain the full workforce for an additional 12 years." It expects the expansion will produce 5.5 million tons of coal per year. In 2022, Canada produced 19.3 million tons of thermal coal, a decline of more than 15 million tons from 2013. Coalspur Mines has asked for access to 5.4 billion liters (approximately 1.2 million gallons) of water as part of its application to the regulator. Daniel Cheater, another Ecojustice lawyer working on the Vista mine file, said the bulk of the water will be taken from the McLeod River, a critical habitat for rainbow and bull trout, both of which are listed as species at risk. "Coalspur has also consistently demonstrated a failure to manage tailings from the existing Phase I of the Vista coal mine," he added, noting the company's own application says water from tailings will seep through into the nearby McPherson Creek "approximately 11 to 160 years" after wastewater stops flowing into the ponds. The project could also completely dry up both McPherson Creek and one of its tributaries. The company plans to divert water from the McLeod River post-mining, but notes recovery will take decades. The company did not respond to an interview request. Company behind the mine entered creditor protection in 2021 The existing mine has not been without its challenges. In 2021, two years after it opened, the mine entered into creditor protection as its finances collapsed. It clawed its way back to life in 2022, in part by avoiding full payment of debts to local businesses. When it initiated creditor protection proceedings, Coalspur owed nearly $5 million to local businesses, ranging from car dealerships to oilfield services to welding shops. In the final affidavit submitted as part of the creditor protection process by Coalspur's president and CEO Michael Beyer, an American living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Beyer said emerging from the proceedings intact, as opposed to a fire sale of assets, was a better outcome for all creditors and would enable relationships into the future. The mine is a significant economic driver in the region and is supported by the Ermineskin Cree Nation, which has signed benefit agreements with Coalspur. A representative with the nation's consultation department did not respond to an interview request prior to publication. Mine expansion will benefit US company during trade war: lawyer The expansion comes at a time of heightened international political and economic tension, not to mention the increasing threat of climate change. The proposal also clashes with a pledge by the federal Liberal government in 2021 to phase out exports of thermal coal by 2030. "It's hard to see how it benefits our country to allow this company to build one of the biggest thermal coal mines in Canadian history on the edge of Jasper National Park," Thomson said. "I think a lot of Canadians right now think that we should be investing in Canadian industries and preserving our export capacity, the limited export capacity that we have, for goods that keep profits inside our country and that don't just profit American companies." Thomson is also concerned about the emissions impacts of amping up coal production. The company says it expects emissions from its operations to be approximately 352,000 tons per year. That does not account for the carbon dioxide that would be released when the coal is ultimately used; burning 5.5 million tons of coal generates about twice that mass in carbon dioxide. Thomson said the emissions from the mine at peak production could be equivalent to that of 4 million cars, when factoring in burning the coal overseas. "Given the events of the last few months, we often lose sight of the fact that we are also in a climate crisis, and thermal coal is one of the world's dirtiest fossil fuels," he said. "It really has no place in a world serious about tackling the climate crisis." This story was produced by The Narwhal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Youth-led lawsuit on climate change wins another round in court
A lawsuit by seven young people designed to win Ontario government action on climate change is expected to proceed after the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal by the province. Article content Article content Lawyers for the young plaintiffs contend the high court's refusal to take up the appeal marks 'a significant victory for climate litigation in Canada' and will force the province to answer for its greenhouse gas emissions policy. Article content Article content 'It's decision time,' Stockwoods lawyer Nader Hasan, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said Thursday. Article content Article content 'The Ontario government is out of runway and will finally have to face the music for gutting its climate targets and putting our collective health, safety, and futures at risk.' Article content One of the applicants, Shelby Gagnon, said the case shows even small acts of courage can create change. 'Our case is a call to all generations to take action as we stand together to show that the rule of law matters, science matters, and justice matters,' she said Thursday. News that the case will proceed comes one day after Ontario Premier Doug Ford levelled harsh criticism against Ontario judges, whom he argued are too often making decisions based on ideology. Ford raised the idea of electing judges to hold them accountable for their decisions. Article content 'These judges that are bleeding hearts, I can't wait until they retire,' Ford said in reaction to an Ontario Superior Court decision to grant an injunction against his government's plan to remove some downtown Toronto bike lanes. Article content Article content 'As a matter of fact, I'll pay them to retire earlier,' Ford said. 'I'll pay you out, for two, three, four years. Just get out of the system.' Article content The climate change case began in 2019 when seven young plaintiffs filed a statement of claim, arguing that Ontario's climate policy would not protect them from the impact of climate change. Article content Backed by lawyers from Ecojustice and Stockwoods LLP, the lawsuit alleged the Ontario government's decision to claw back greenhouse gas emissions targets in 2018 violated the Charter's guarantee of the rights to equality, life and security of the person. Article content In April 2023, an Ontario Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit as a 'positive rights case' – a case that established novel legal rights.
