Ecojustice

EDMONTON — Environment Minister Peter Kent’s failure to reconsider emergency protection for woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta has prompted environmental groups to ask for the Federal Court’s help.

Six months ago, the Court called Minister Kent’s decision not to recommend emergency protection for woodland caribou “out of the blue,” and ruled that it ignored scientific evidence and must be set aside. The Minister was instructed to reconsider the government’s position, but has yet to show any signs of activity on the file.

Ecojustice, on behalf of the Pembina Institute and Alberta Wilderness Association, has asked the Court to amend its ruling to include a deadline to force a response from the Minister. Read More

CALGARY — Tomorrow, an Alberta court will hear an Ecojustice application to appeal Maxim Power Corp.’s controversial Milner coal plant expansion.

The groups seek to overturn the Alberta Utilities Commission’s (AUC) hasty approval of the Milner project, which allows Maxim to avoid incoming federal greenhouse gas regulations.

Ecojustice, on behalf the Pembina Institute, will appear before the Court of Appeal of Alberta tomorrow. The hearing will determine if the appeal can proceed or not. Read More

EDMONTON — The federal government’s draft woodland caribou recovery strategy — released today, four years overdue — is illegal and fails on multiple fronts to comply with requirements under the Species at Risk Act, Ecojustice said today.

“This is not a recovery plan. This is barely a survival plan,” said Melissa Gorrie, Ecojustice staff lawyer. “SARA requires that recovery plans be based in science, but this plan clearly prioritizes political and industrial interests over that of the animals it is supposed to protect.” Read More

CALGARY — Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute are taking the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to court over its decision to grant Maxim Power Corp.’s coal plant expansion interim approval without a public hearing.

As the AUC itself made clear, the expedited approval was given in a blatant attempt to beat the federal government’s deadline for new greenhouse gas regulations. Read More