Environment and Climate Change Canada reports that the Department of National Defence (DND) was sentenced on April 11, 2016, in Halifax Provincial Court to pay a penalty of $100,000 after pleading guilty to violating the Fisheries Act.

The charges stem from a May 8, 2013, incident where approximately 9000 litres of diesel fuel was spilled from HMCS St. John’s into Halifax Harbour while the vessel was at anchor. This led to several reports of a large sheen in the harbour and a strong smell of diesel fuel in the surrounding area.

DND representatives reported the diesel fuel spill on the morning of May 8, 2013, and participated in efforts to contain and recover the spill over the next several days. On January 30, 2015, Environment and Climate Change Canada charged DND for an alleged violation of the Fisheries Act.

Of the $100,000 penalty, $98,000 will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=advSrch&crtr.page=1&crtr.dpt1D=6672&nid=1054449&crtr.tp1D=1

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Manning Environmental Law is a Canadian law firm based in Toronto, Ontario. Our practice is focussed on environmental law, energy law and climate change law. 

Paul Manning is a certified specialist in environmental law. He has been named as one of Canada’s leading Environmental Lawyers by Who’s Who Legal: Canada and ranked by Lexpert as one of Canada’s Leading Energy Lawyers.

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