Environmental Approvals

Consideration of environmental matters is an integral part of most land use planning approval processes.  These environmental matters include considerations in regard to noise, odours, dust, natural heritage (ecological) features and systems (e.g. flora, fauna, watercourses, wetlands, hazard lands), and endangered species.

In the province of Ontario, ministries and agencies have produced an abundance of regulations, policies, guidelines and technical documentation in regard to environmental matters to guide the planning and development process.  An understanding of the content and application of these policies is essential to a successful approvals process.

Wood Bull has extensive experience in advising clients on the application of relevant environmental regulations, policies, guidelines and technical documentation and in working with technical experts in the various environmental fields to achieve land use approvals, including approvals that may be required from specialized agencies such as conservation authorities.  

Dennis Wood has considerable experience in the areas of environmental assessment, both federal and provincial; regulatory, licensing and administrative law; municipal waste; industrial and hazardous waste; nuclear energy; nuclear fuel waste management; and environmental science and technology.  This experience includes being counsel to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL); chair of the Siting Task Force, Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management; counsel for the Metropolitan Toronto Solid Waste Environmental Assessment Program (SWEAP); counsel to the Interim Waste Authority Limited (IWA); and counsel to the Commission on Industrial Waste Management.