The present study is designed to examine the problem of compensating people in Canada who are injured, or suffer sickness and disease, from exposure to environmental health hazards created as the result of an environmental offence. It begins by reviewing some of the practices that create environmental pollution and the consequent real and potential dangers posed to human health.;People suffering illness or disease as a result of being subjected to environmental pollution undergo a form of assault upon their person, in most cases unwillingly and unwittingly, thus inadvertently achieving the status of "victims". In an attempt to discover their basic characteristics as a class of individuals, victims are examined from a sociological perspective, and also historically from within the criminal justice system. It is argued that the pollution victim shares many similarities with victims of more "traditional" crimes against the person and that an affirmative approach to compensation of these victims is, therefore, justified.;The current methods of compensation are examined and shown to be poorly designed to meet the needs of pollution victims. The deficiencies and difficulties of tort procedure are highlighted. Other potential remedies, such as restitution and crimes compensation, are also examined and found wanting. Proposed U.S. and Canadian schemes of compensation are reviewed, as well as the Japanese method of addressing the problem. The positive as well as the negative aspects of these schemes are presented in an attempt to obtain an objective overview.;It is concluded that a consolidated method of compensating victims of environmental offences should be devised. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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