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Raising the maximum fine for spillsto $1 billion without proof of fault ornegligence (up from $30 million inNewfoundland and Labrador and$40 million in Nova Scotia;Creating an administrative regimefor monetary penalties, includingfines of up to $25,000 for individualsand up to $100,000 for corporationsfor regulatory infractions; and Setting a minimum security of $100million, which operators must post inadvance of drilling. Regulators mayincrease this amount at theirdiscretion.PROVINCIAL ENVIRONMENTALREGULATIONAll four Atlantic Provinces have legislatedextensively in the area of environmentalprotection. Further, as noted earlier,municipalities within each province havepassed by-laws relating to the environmentpursuant to authority granted them underprovincial legislation (solid waste disposal,industrial discharge into the wastewatersystem, and pesticide regulation arecommon areas addressed by municipal bylaws).The environmental legislation in the AtlanticProvinces, although different in significantrespects, contains certain common features.One notable feature common to NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundlandand Labrador, for instance, is a broadapproach to assigning responsibility forcleanup following the release of pollutantsor contaminants. The responsibility forcleanup in these provinces extends beyondthe person(s) who caused thecontamination, to current owners/occupiers,current or past parties having care,management or control over thecontaminant that has been released into theenvironment, and in some cases others aswell. Responsibility for cleanup can beassigned to these varied parties regardlessof actual fault or legal liability. A currentowner of contaminated property may beordered by the responsible minister to cleanup the property even though the owner maynot have owned the property when thecontamination occurred.For this reason, it is imperative forprospective purchasers to conductappropriate due diligence investigationsbefore acquiring property and to haveappropriate protections to enable this tooccur built into any agreements for thepurchase of property. Due to the potentialwide-ranging responsibility forcontamination or a contaminated site, it isalso essential that property owners oroccupiers be aware of the notificationrequirements should a spill or release occur.The Atlantic Provinces have alsoestablished numerous regulations undertheir primary environmental laws. The focusof these regulations is the management ofenvironmental concerns identified in thestatutes, including the following:Air PollutionRegulation of airborne emissionsOzone layer protectionsPermit requirements for theoperation of fuel burning equipment,incinerators and other industrialsourcesEnvironmental Law 116