Tridan vs. Shell decision

On January 3, the Court of Appeal released its decision in the Tridan vs. Shell case. The Court ruled that Tridan was entitled to have its property remediated to a pristine condition.
In September 1990, a Shell gas station in Ottawa, Ontario experienced a fuel-line leak and approximately 9,000 litres of gasoline escaped into the soil. Shell took appropriate steps to notify the government, repair the leak and clean up. In August 1991, Tridan, the adjacent property owner to Shell, discovered contamination beneath its property. Tridan sued Shell and sought damages in excess of $1.6-million for remediation, removal of contaminated soil, business interruption, increased mortgage payments, decreased property value and additional costs and inconvenience.
For more information, see the “Regulation Roundup” column in the October/November 2000 issue.