Reference no: EM133193386 , Length: Word count: 2 Pages

Question: What issues are preventing adequate environmental protection throughout Canada?

One issue that is preventing adequate environmental protection is fines that are too small for the illegal dumping of waste into the environment. In Waterloo, the minimum fine for illegal dumping is $300 but can go up to a maximum of $5,000. In the Niagara region, the minimum fine is $750 but could be more under the Niagara Waste Management By-Law. The Niagara Waste Management By-Law states, all of the rules when it comes to the disposal of waste and the consequences of improperly disposing of waste and/ or illegal dumping. The by-law also states that any person or corporation who violates the rules has to pay a maximum fine of $100,000 for every offence. If the person or corporation is found guilty of obtaining an economic gain from the rule they broke, another special fine may be put into place and can exceed $100,000. If the offence is continuing, another maximum fine of $10,000 is added for every day.             Now, if disposal fees are taken into account the conversation gets very interesting. The point of disposal fees is to encourage companies and individuals to limit the amount of garbage they use, so they won't have to pay extra to have it disposed of. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good because it is important that the amount of garbage is limited so it will not just sit in a landfill. This is bad because if some people have more garbage then they will be more likely to dump the waste and litter than pay extra because the chances of them being caught are small. For larger companies, the fee they would be charged for dumping is lower than the disposal cost. This sparks an interesting conversation about how fines and disposal fees should be adjusted to both decreases the amount of garbage a company or individual has, while also discouraging them from illegally dumping their waste.

Based on the information above I have a few opinions. First, I think that the minimum fine for an individual to dump waste in the Waterloo region is too low. I agree that losing $300 in fines may teach someone with a similar financial status as a student a lesson but it may not have the same effects on someone with a steady source of income. I think the minimum fine should be raised closer to $750 like the Niagara region. This will ensure most people who commit an offence will "feel the effects" of their actions.           

Next, I have some mixed opinions about the information stated in the Niagara Waste Management By-Law. I think a maximum fine of $100,000 for an individual illegally dumping is too high but too low for a corporation. A lot of large corporations illegally dump waste into the environment and into waterways because it is cheaper and easier than disposing of it correctly. A lot of companies will just pay the fines because it ends up being cheaper for them. Let's look at Coca-Cola as an example. The net income of a company is the income minus all business expenses. The net income for Coca-Cola in 2020 was over 33 billion dollars. This is the value the company is left with after paying all expenses, including any fines. The corporations would also be financially gaining from dumping because they are paying a lower value than disposing of the waste correctly. A value as low as $100,000 plus another fee from financially gaining from dumping is not going to make a dent in the corporation's annual net income. In Australia, the maximum fine for individuals illegally dumping is $500,000 and possibly up to 4 years of jail time. For corporations, it is a maximum of 2 million dollars. Personally, I think the fine for individuals is too high but the fine for corporations is much more reasonable than in the Niagara region.      

I look forward to hearing what your opinions are on the following questions as well as if you agree with my opinions.       

1. Do you agree with the current Waterloo region fines? Do you think they should be higher or lower?      

2. Do you have any suggestions about how fines should be distributed to both individuals and corporations?       

3. How should disposal fees and dumping fines be adjusted to protect the environment overall?       

4. What do you think about Australia's fines for illegally dumping? Do you think they are too high or low?      

5. What steps can be taken to help decrease the number of large companies illegally dumping waste?

Resources:

1. You can now get a $300 ticket for illegal dumping in the Region of Waterloo.

2. Corporate Pollution.

3. Illegal Dumping in Niagara.

4. Niagara Region Waste Management By-Law.

5. Revenue Distribution of the Coca-Cola Company Worldwide.