The Province is naming names and taking away privileges as part of a new strategy aimed at increasing the collection rate of overdue environmental court penalties, announced Environment Minister Mary Polak.

In a report released today, Closing the Gap, the Province publicly names the 18 businesses and 155 individuals with overdue environmental court penalties owing to the Province or to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

Today, letters are being sent to those identified with fishing and hunting licences revoking these privileges. Once paid in full, these individuals will again be eligible to obtain licences or permits. The ministry will be updating the list at the end of January 2014.

During the reporting period from 2004 to 2012, more than 80 per cent of the 1,540 court convictions were paid. While the majority of the number of fines was paid, this only represents 40 per cent of the $1.9 million owed. Currently, $1.14 million remains outstanding to the Province and more than $400,000 to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

This new strategy is the first of its kind in North America. The goal is to increase the collection rate of overdue environmental court penalties from 40 per cent to an aggressive target of 95 per cent by June 2014.

A follow-up report will be issued in June 2014 to highlight the progress made in collecting the overdue environmental court penalties. This will supplement the Quarterly Environmental Enforcement Summaries, which name individuals and businesses subject to enforcement actions, and the Environmental Violations Database, a searchable catalogue of all enforcement actions published since 2006.

Closing the Gap: A Special Report on Overdue Environmental Court Penalties (2004-2012), can be viewed at: www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/compliance-reporting/docs/closing-the-gap.pdf

Quotes:

Mary Polak, Minister of Environment -

"It is unacceptable that 60 per cent of environmental court fines have gone unpaid in this province. The individuals and businesses publicly named are well aware that the courts have imposed these fines on them. We are going further than ever before to get those who harm the environment to pay for their actions and hopefully prevent these behaviours in the future."

Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations -

"The Province is taking real and definitive steps to collect on these overdue fines. As of today, those with fishing and hunting licences who find themselves in the pages of this report will have those licences automatically revoked. This is just one way we are deterring harmful behaviours and encouraging violators to pay up."

Brian Springinotic, CEO, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation -

"Over the past five years creative sentencing awards have surpassed court fines, accounting for more than half of the total court penalties imposed. To date, our foundation has invested more than $1.3 million from creative sentencing orders in conservation projects throughout the province."

Quick Facts:

• The Ministry of Environment leads the public reporting of many enforcement actions taken under its legislation, as well as legislation administered by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
• Of the total $1.14 million owed to the Province, 23 per cent is owed by individuals while 77 per cent is owed by businesses.
• Court penalties are comprised of a fine, and in many cases, a creative sentencing order. The courts typically direct funds from creative sentencing orders to specific organizations, most often the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
• Funds from creative sentencing orders typically go to projects aimed at mitigating or repairing the environmental damage caused by the non-compliant activity.
• This project covers a nine year period from 2004-2012 as the statute of limitations for environmental court fines is 10 years.

Learn More:

For more information on environmental compliance and enforcement reporting, please visit: www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/compliance-reporting/

Quarterly compliance and enforcement reports can be found at: www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/compliance-reporting/reports.html

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834

Brennan Clarke
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261