British Columbia’s Quarterly Environmental Enforcement Summaries for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2016 have been publicly posted, outlining the significant enforcement actions taken by the Province, along with associated fines.

For the final three quarters of 2016, enforcement actions included:

• 33 orders
• 247 administrative sanctions
• 1,922 tickets
• 8 administrative penalties
• 39 court convictions

These enforcement actions resulted in a total of over $630,000 in penalties. This brings the total (since 2006) to over $13 million in penalties against companies and individuals for environmental non-compliance.

Examples of violations in the quarterly summaries include hunting and fishing without a licence, open burning out of season and introducing waste into the environment.

Key highlights include:

• BC Hydro was issued five orders under the Environmental Assessment Act for failure to meet requirements of its Environmental Assessment Certificate and accompanying plans with respect to the Site C project.
• Tolko Industries Ltd. received three administrative penalties under the Environmental Management Act, totalling $32,950, in response to emissions from its Williams Lake mill.
• Administrative penalties totalling $88,500 were issued to four companies under the recycling regulation for failing to take responsibility for life-cycle management of packaging and printed paper products.

To view all Quarterly Environmental Enforcement Summaries, please visit:
www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/compliance-reporting/