Snoc (2010) Inc. Fined $20,000 for Violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

SAINT-HYACINTHE, QC, Sept. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - On September 10, 2013, at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse, Snoc (2010) Inc., a company specializing in light fixture manufacturing in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the Solvent Degreasing Regulations, thus also violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999). The company was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $15,000 to the Environmental Damages Fund. The company must also publish an article in the business magazine Les Affaires and train company officials on the criminal consequences of failing to comply with CEPA, 1999.

The offence is the result of the company using or consenting to the use of trichloroethylene (TCE) in quantities exceeding the quantity permitted in 2010. TCE is a toxic substance listed in Schedule 1 of the Solvent Degreasing Regulations and its use is regulated under CEPA, 1999.

The conviction follows an investigation launched in 2009 by officers from Environment Canada's Environmental Enforcement Division.

The Environmental Damages Fund, administered by Environment Canada, was created in 1995 to provide courts and businesses with a mechanism for paying fines and concluding environmental restoration investment agreements. The Fund follows the "polluter pays" principle to ensure that polluters take responsibility for their actions.

For more information, please visit the CEPA Environmental Registry and the Environmental Damages Fund Web pages.

Environment Canada has created a subscription service to help the Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect our natural environment. Subscribing to Environment Canada's Enforcement Notifications is easy, and free. Sign up today.

SOURCE: Environment Canada

Jennifer Kennedy
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441

Media Relations
Environment Canada
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(Également offert en français)