Scrap metal company fined $225,000 for Environmental Protection Act violations

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Convicted - Triple M Metal Corp.

Court Location - Hamilton

Description of Offences -

• The convictions are for:
  • Using, operating, or constructing any plant, structure, equipment, apparatus, mechanism or thing that may discharge a contaminant into the environment without ministry approval
  • On two separate occasions, failing to comply with a ministry Order by failing to notify the ministry of an explosion within a shredder
  • On two separate occasions, failing to comply with a ministry Order by failing to ensure that no prohibited materials were processed within a shredder unless all gases, fluids, or other substances that may cause an explosion had been removed

Date of Offences - Various dates between May 19, 2020, and March 29, 2021

Date of Convictions - February 15, 2024

Penalty Imposed -

• Triple M Metal Corp. was convicted of five violations under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), fined a total of $225,000 plus a victim fine surcharge of $56,250, and given two years to pay.

Background -

• Triple M Metal Corp. operates scrap metal recycling facilities at various locations across Ontario.

Brampton Street Facility

• One of Triple M's scrap metal facilities is located on Brampton Street in Hamilton.

• In October 2019, ministry staff attended the Brampton Street facility to conduct an inspection. During the inspection, representatives of Triple M advised the ministry of the company's plans to remove and install new equipment at the facility, including a new shear. A shear is a piece of equipment used to cut up large pieces of metal into smaller sections.

• The ministry subsequently advised Triple M that an application would be required to amend the company's Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) to cover the installation of the new shear. An application to amend the ECA was never received by the ministry.

• In December 2020, the ministry began to receive noise complaints with respect to operations at the Brampton Street facility. During a site visit in January 2021, the ministry was informed that a new shear had been installed at the facility. The shear was installed without the company applying for the required amendment to the ECA.

Parkdale Avenue Facility

• Triple M operates another scrap metal facility on Parkdale Avenue North in Hamilton. The company operates an automotive shredder line at the Parkdale Avenue facility under a ministry-issued ECA.

• The automotive shredder has been the source of several noise complaints from nearby residents, deemed to correspond with explosions originating from shredder activities.

• In response to noise complaints, the ministry issued an Order to Triple M in May 2020. The Order required the company to ensure that no prohibited materials were processed within the shredder unless all gases, fluids, or other substances that may cause an explosion have been removed. Additionally, the company was required to notify the ministry of any explosion that occurred within the shredder.

• Reports of multiple explosions at the Parkdale Avenue facility were received between May 2020 and November 2021. These explosions occurred as a result of the company failing to remove prohibited materials before they were processed in the shredder. Further, the company failed to notify the ministry of the explosions that occurred in May 2020 and March 2021.

• The ministry's Environmental Investigations and Enforcement Branch investigated and laid charges which resulted in the convictions.

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