Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller Decries MNR Destruction of Evidence in Murray Group Pit Investigation

"Miller is concerned that MNR destroyed a site plan for a gravel pit that was being investigated under the EBR for alleged damage to a wetland and woodlot and for excavation deeper than the conditions of the site plan allowed. Miller notes that this made it impossible to investigate or prosecute the alleged violations of the site plan, which had been in effect just five months before the EBR application for investigation was made." --- News Release, Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 1 Nov 2000, http://www.eco.on.ca/english/newsrel/00nov01a.htm
 
 

Environmental Commissioner Finds Ministry Destruction of Documents 'Disturbing'

"One disturbing revelation ... emerged during a Ministry of Natural Resources investigation under EBR [Environmental Bill of Rights] into alleged violations by a quarry of the terms of their aggregates license. No evidence of a violation was found because the ministry had issued an amendment to the license in question and had destroyed the site plan that was in effect at the time of the alleged violations." --- Remarks by Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 10:30am, 1 Nov 2000, http://www.eco.on.ca/english/newsrel/00nov01c.pdf
 
 

Environmental Commissioner Urges Ministry to Improve Monitoring of Aggregate Pits

"An EBR application for investigation alleging that an aggregates operation excavated deeper than allowed by its site plan emphasized the need for the Ministry of Natural Resources to improve its monitoring of aggregates operations." Backgrounder, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 1999-2000 Annual Report, 1 Nov 2000, http://www.eco.on.ca/english/newsrel/00nov01b.pdf