New online tool will allow the public to report an incident when and where they see it
The Ontario government is launching a new user-friendly online tool so the public can conveniently report incidents of pollution in real-time from a smartphone. The new digital solution will mean photos and videos can be uploaded immediately so staff can respond quickly and effectively to keep communities safe.
“Our government takes environmental violations very seriously and has zero tolerance for illegal polluters — and we know the people of Ontario are eager to do their part to protect our environment. That’s why we made a commitment in our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan to develop digital solutions that will improve public reporting of pollution and ministry response times,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “With your help, we can hold polluters accountable and ensure compliance with the environmental laws we have in place to protect our air, land and water for generations to come.”
Members of the public can visit ontario.ca/reportpollution and fill out a simple form to report immediately if they witness:
pollution (e.g. solvents, oil, fuels or chemicals) on land, in the water or air
industrial or commercial noise pollution
waste being dumped into the natural environment
improper disposal of commercial waste
Using the tool, users can capture a wide range of information directly from the scene, including photographs, audio files and videos. They will also have the option of creating a secure login so they can receive real-time status updates on the incident after it has been reported.
Improving public reporting tools is just one of the ways Ontario is protecting our air, land and water, as committed to in the Made in Ontario Environment Plan.
Quick Facts
Businesses or owners of pollutants (e.g. a person or business responsible for a pollutant getting into the environment) are required by provincial law to report spills by telephone. For more information, visit the Report pollution and spills webpage.
Ontario has recently begun consulting the public on a number of new initiatives aimed at deterring pollution and bringing polluters into compliance with environmental laws.
Every year, the ministry’s Spills Action Centre receives and responds to over 90,000 calls from the public, businesses and other organizations.
Environmental Officers in 22 district and area offices across the province respond to reports of pollution, spills and other environmental concerns.
Staff from Ontario’s Environmental Response Program are available to respond to urgent environmental issues 24 hours a day.
Reporting through telephone (1-800-MOE-TIPS) or by email will continue to be an option for all Ontarians.
Additional Resources
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
