Seleine Mines was recently fined a total of $400,000 in Quebec court after pleading guilty to four counts of violating subsection 125(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999). Under subsection 125(1) of CEPA, 1999, disposal of waste at sea is prohibited without a permit.
The charges and conviction stem from an investigation by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) enforcement officers revealed that the company had disposed of dredged material on four occasions between August 10 and 14, 2014, outside of the disposal area authorized by the disposal at sea permit issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Disposal at sea is prohibited unless a permit is issued by ECCC’s Disposal at Sea Program. Only a short list of non-hazardous wastes can be considered for disposal. A permit’s conditions on quantities of waste, disposal sites, and special precautionary measures are designed to ensure that the disposal is the most practical and environment-friendly option.
