North American CEC Selects New Executive Director
The Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, consisting of the Honorable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment for Canada; Mr. Stephen J. Johnson, Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency; and Mr. José Luis Luege Tamargo, Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources for Mexico, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Adrián Vázquez as the fourth Executive Director of the CEC Secretariat. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Vázquez was a senior official at Mexico’s environmental ministry, Semarnat.
From CEC's News Room.

Container Ship Owners and Operators to Pay $3.25 Million in National Marine Sanctuary Settlement
The owners and operators of the foreign-flagged container vessel Med Taipei have agreed to pay $3.25 million to the United States to resolve allegations that the 15 containers lost overboard in 2004 resulted in long-term damage to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Commerce announced today. The settlement in behalf of MBNMS, located off the coast of California, and the owners and operators of the vessel represents the largest damages awarded to date for damages to a national marine sanctuary.
From US Department of Justice Press Room

CEC Recieves New Citizen Submission on Enforcement Matters
The North American Commission on Environmental Coooperation (CEC) provides a mechanism known as "Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters," which enables the public to play an active whistle-blower role when a government appears to be failing to enforce its environmental laws effectively. In January 2006, CEC recieved a new Citizen Submission, asserting that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce certain provisions of its environmental laws with respect to a site contaminated with lead, chromium, cadmium, nickel and molybdenum, which allegedly has harmed the health of residents of the community of Ex Hacienda El Hospital. For more information, please visit the CEC's Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters page.

Canada Will Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Large Industrial Sources
The Government of Canada has published a Notice of Intent to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Large Final Emitters (LFEs), outlining how emissions reduction targets would be set, the mechanisms through which LFEs could meet their targets and the preferred regulatory option for implementing the system, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act."To achieve significant reductions in GHGs over the long-term, the Canadian economy needs to accelerate the transformation to low-carbon technologies, while maintaining strong economic growth," said the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment.
From The Government of Canada's Press Room

Toronto Artist Arrested for Trading Endangered Species
Mark Gleberzon, a Toronto artist, was arrested May 12 by United States Fish and Wildlife Service special agents for allegedly selling products containing elephant ivory and parrot feather ornaments to U.S. wildlife officers in New York. U.S. and Canadian officials cooperated in the investigation and arrest. The majority of the sales investigated took place on an Internet auction site, Canadian Wildlife Service officials said, although they declined to name the website. The Internet is being used increasingly to support illegal trade in wildlife specimens and products, according to Canadian and U.S. wildlife officers.
From ENS Newswire

Legislation to Protect Canada's Marine Environments from Polluters Comes into Force
Legislation which will allow Canada to more fully protect its marine environments from polluters came into force on June 28, 2005. Bill C-15 addresses illegal dumping of bilge oil, and will "provide[s] clarity for enforcement officials, as well as owners and operators of vessels in waters under Canadian jurisdiction," according to Canada's Minister of the Environment Stéphane Dion. Along with amendments to the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994) and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999), the new legislation holds shipping companies and their ships' officers accountable for any illegal dumping of bilge oil in Canadian waters. In addition, the legislation helps bring Canada's penalties in line with penalties in the United States by increasing the maximum and minimum fines for offence and conviction.
From Environment Canada's Press Room

Companies and Regulators in Emissions Trading Programs
Joseph Kruger of Resources for the Future has released a new paper on "Companies and Regulators in Emissions Trading Programs." The paper examines the unique roles and interactions of environmental regulators and the companies they regulate. It also discusses how these roles change the way that regulators and companies operate within their own organizations and with each other. The paper examines how these roles change the way that companies and regulators operate within their own organizations and interact with each other. It also explores whether similar structures will develop within the European Union's Emissions Trading System.