Managing Environmental Risk and Liability — November 26
Course Description
Managing environmental risk and liability is an essential responsibility for supervisors, managers, and anyone involved in operational decision-making. Whether addressing unexpected environmental incidents, managing historical contamination, or ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance, organizations benefit from a proactive and informed approach to environmental liability management.
This one-day course explores the key principles of identifying, assessing, and managing environmental risks throughout the lifecycle of a project or operation. Participants will gain practical knowledge of environmental liabilities, legal and regulatory considerations, and industry best practices for reducing risk and improving environmental performance.
Through real-world examples and practical discussions with speakers from varied backgrounds, attendees will learn strategies to anticipate potential environmental issues, implement effective risk mitigation measures, and respond appropriately when incidents occur. The course is designed to provide managers and supervisors with the tools and confidence needed to make informed decisions that protect their organization, the environment, and the communities in which they operate.
Course Chair
Guest speakers to date:
- Calum Bonnington, GeoMarine Environmental Consultants
- Ian Bonsma, Western Region Manager, HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics
- Joshua Dias, Bureau Veritas Group
- Annette Gear, Environment & Sustainability Director, Calgary Airports
- Michelle Heffernan, Senior Environmental Scientist and Partner, Trace Associates
- Michael Lapointe, Director, Contaminated Sites and Remediation, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (invited)
- Denys O’Keefe, Environmental Specialist, City of Calgary
- Brandon Smith, Clear-Site Solutions
- Carl Spensieri, President, Steamboat Risk Management
- Jacquelyn Stevens, Partner, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
November 26 – Course begins 9 AM
Draft Course Agenda
Roles and responsibilities for municipal spill discovery and response
A high level review of how the City of Calgary manages spills, including the following topics:
- The anatomy of a spill; their origins and the impact to the stormwater system
- The current state of spills in Calgary; a review of the data
- City of Calgary spill response processes, from start to finish
- How resource use, environmental risk, and interested party expectations are delicately balanced
- The future of spill response in Calgary
Speaker: Denys O’Keefe, City of Calgary
Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) regulatory session
Speaker: Michael Lapointe, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (invited)
Update on risk assessment
Reclamation field update
Remedial liability: An innovative approach to risk reduction technologies
Speaker: Brandon Smith, Clear-Site Solutions
Major linear corridor projects: Lessons learned
- As we embark on a new major linear corridor project, are there lessons learned from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project?
- Discussion of key lessons learned
Speaker: Calum Bonnington, GeoMarine Environmental Consultants
Growing in-house environmental capabilities
- Internal compliance teams
- Digital tools
- Skills development
Speaker: Annette Gear, Calgary Airport Authority
Panel: Quality and cost in environmental consulting
- Sampling quality
- Defensible techniques
- Consultant selection
- Managing compliance budgets
- Maximizing laboratory analyses
Speakers: Bureau Vertias, Trace Associates, Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada (to be confirmed)
The cost of noise
Environmental noise is rarely treated as critically as are the sorts of emissions that we traditionally think of as air pollutants, generally due to a lack of consensus on a direct causal link between noise and human health effects.
A growing body of research and experiential evidence shows that environmental noise from industry greater than about 45 to 55 dBA can lead to very real and non-negligible costs and should be treated as critically and proactively as any other air pollutant, rather than as a simple nuisance. This presentation will include case studies from more than 20 years of experience in the field of acoustics, noise, and vibration engineering consulting.
Speaker: Ian Bonsma, HGC Noise Vibration Acoustics
Environmental insurance
- Introduction to environmental insurance
- Uses for environmental insurance in industry
Speaker: Carl Spensieri, Berkley Canada
Legal session
Speaker: Jacquelyn Stevens, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
Wrap-up and Q&A
Course Chair: Anand Srivastava, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
Course ends 4:30 PM
EVENT SCHEDULE
8 AM: Registration opens
9 AM: Courses begin
12 PM: Lunch
4:30 PM: Courses finish