Quebec to increases fines tenfold for some companies who flout environmental laws
The Canadian province of Quebec is significantly raising fines for companies that breach environmental regulations under the province's Environmental Quality Act. The government is increasing penalties tenfold for non-compliance with certain provisions of the act. For instance, a company that fails to adhere to a ministerial authorization may now face a fine of at least $75,000, up from $7,500.
The minimum fine for contaminating the environment has risen from $30,000 to $300,000, while companies operating without ministerial authorization will be fined at least $150,000. This new regulation specifically targets high-risk industries such as the battery sector, oil refineries, and several others involved in the province's industrial discharge reduction program.
The increased fines are aimed at better reflecting the potential environmental harm associated with these high-risk activities.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
