The Ontario government has announced regulatory changes aimed at cracking down on landfill site owners who violate environmental laws. The new measures empower enforcement officials to levy substantial monetary penalties against offenders, streamlining the process of holding them accountable and reducing the reliance on lengthy court proceedings.

“Our government takes environmental violations very seriously, and we are committed to holding polluters accountable,” says Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Andrea Khanjin. “By expanding environmental penalties to landfill facilities, this regulation gives us the ability to take stronger actions to protect Ontarians through swift financial consequences for breaking the law.”

Under the revised regulations, environmental penalties will vary depending on the severity of the violations. Lesser violations may incur penalties of $1,000 per day, while the most serious infractions could result in penalties of up to $100,000 per day. The collected funds will be reinvested into affected communities through the Ontario Community Environment Fund to support local initiatives, such as shoreline cleanups, tree planting, and environmental remediation processes.