Several individuals and corporations in Burlington, Ontario, have been fined a total of $46,000 in connection with environmental violations that arose more than two decades ago from soil and groundwater contamination linked to perchloroethylene (PCE), a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning.
The most recent convictions compounded from the original contamination and stem from a failure to comply with a Director’s Order issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, which required the submission of specific technical reports related to environmental site assessments, an Ontario court bulletin states.
John Kalanda Limited, along with its officers, were convicted at the Ontario Court of Justice in Halton for failing to meet the requirements set out in the order. Parker’s Cleaners (Burlington) Ltd. and its director, were also convicted in relation to the same order.
The offences occurred between April 15, 2021, and December 19, 2022.
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On September 25, 2024, John Kalanda Limited was convicted of two violations under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and fined $20,000, plus a victim fine surcharge (VFS) of $5,000, with one year to pay.
On October 25, 2024, Parker’s Cleaners (Burlington) Ltd. was convicted of two EPA violations and fined $10,000, with two years to pay. The company’s sole officer and director was also convicted of one EPA violation and fined $1,000.
The charges stem from longstanding environmental concerns associated with a property on Guelph Line in Burlington, jointly owned by John Kalanda Limited and the Kalanda family members. Parker’s Cleaners operated a dry cleaning business on the site from 2004 to 2017. In 2004, the ministry was alerted to possible soil and groundwater contamination linked to PCE.
Subsequent investigations confirmed the presence of PCE contamination, which had migrated off-site and affected neighbouring properties. PCE can degrade into trichloroethylene (TCE) and vinyl chloride, both of which pose serious environmental and health risks, including cancer. These vapours can migrate through soil and enter nearby buildings, elevating public health concerns.
In response, the ministry issued an order in June 2018 requiring the parties to undertake work to delineate both on-site and off-site contamination. This order was amended in June 2020 to update and expand the scope of required actions. In January 2021, a Director’s Order was issued, reaffirming the original requirements and setting revised deadlines for compliance. Among other directives, the order required the installation of monitoring wells, groundwater sampling, and submission of reports prepared by a qualified person.
Although the defendants did engage a qualified person and submitted several documents to the ministry, they ultimately failed to provide all of the required information by the deadlines set out in the order. Following an investigation by the ministry’s Environmental Investigations and Enforcement Branch, charges were laid and convictions secured.
