An Ontario trailer park business and its owner were fined $19,000 for failing to comply with an Environmental Compliance Approval relating to a sewerage system servicing the trailer park.
Isaac Berman is the Director of 1499998 Ontario Inc. According to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), Berman and the company operate a mobile home park located in the Township of Leeds, the Thousand Islands.
On June 6, 2014, the MOECC said it became aware that a new trailer lot and a new sewerage system had been added to the mobile park. The ministry said that despite Mr. Berman’s insistence that the upgrade had been approved, its records indicated that there was no upgrades authorized to the new lot through the company’s Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for the site.
Berman and the company were issued a ministry order requiring that they submit a copy of the ECA approval for the new lot’s sewerage system, or provide written confirmation that a Qualified Person had been retained to complete an ECA application for the new lot’s sewerage system. According to the MOECC, Berman and the company did not comply with either of the options.
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In a second matter on March 30, 2015, an Amended ECA was issued to the company for a proposed expansion to the mobile home park. According to the MOECC, the Amended ECA required that the owner submit two copies of a completed Certificate of Requirement and a description of the property which could be registered. This was also not complied with by the deadline indicated, said the MOECC.
Both incidents were then referred to the MOECC’s Investigations and Enforcement Branch, and resulted in charges and convictions.
On March 14, 2018, the MOECC announced that the company was convicted of two offences under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) and was fined $14,000 plus a Victim Fine Surcharge (VFS) of $3,500. Berman was convicted of one offence under the OWRA and was fined $5,000 plus a VFS of $1,250. Both parties were given 15 days to pay.
Additionally, a Section 112 Court Order was issued, ordering the defendants to meet Item No. 1 of the Provincial Officer’s Order, and to submit all required approval documents for the sewerage system expansion.
To read the original news release, visit: www.news.ontario.ca
