Sandblasting Activities Cover Cars and Result in $25,000 Fine

The MOE got a complaint that sandblasting activities were being carried out at a steel fabrication facility and had covered employee vehicles in the staff parking area of a company located next to the facility. Ministry staff went to the facility and the adjacent company, and collected samples and took photographs. A review determined that the sandblasting material sampled at both locations likely came from the same source. The facility pleaded guilty to discharging sandblasting material into the natural environment causing an adverse effect in violation of the Environmental Protection Act and was fined $25,000 [Bolger Steel Fabrication Ltd., Govt. News Release, Feb. 21, 2017].