2007 March 15

New Pollution Data Show Need for Urgent Parliamentary Action on Air Pollutants

Toronto, Ontario – As federal parliamentary committees study the proposed Clean Air Act and review the Canadian Environmental Protection Act , Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association released a national pollution and greenhouse gas emissions overview that shows companies across Canada emitted more than 4 billion kilograms of air pollution in 2005, associated with toxic contamination, smog, acid rain and potential health effects such as respiratory illnesses and cancer. Companies across Canada reported emitting 279 million tonnes CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases in 2005, which contribute to global warming.

Pollutants released into the air include Criteria Air Contaminants, such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, as well as greenhouse gases. These are a focus of the proposed Clean Air Act (Bill C-30) and regulated as toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Air pollutants also include toxic chemicals, such as mercury and lead, which are also regulated under CEPA. The proposed Clean Air Act is currently being re-drafted by a parliamentary committee and is scheduled to be re-tabled in Parliament by the end of the month.

“The draft Clean Air Act is going through extensive study, to make sure it will do what it should – reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions across Canada,” said Aaron Freeman, Policy Director, Environmental Defence. “Given that environment is the number one concern of Canadians, making the needed changes and passing an effective Clean Air Act should be the number one priority of our elected officials.”

The groups analyzed trends in air pollution, particularly those pollutants highlighted in the proposed Clean Air Act and many that are identified as toxic under CEPA. The analysis is based on core facilities that reported throughout the same time period:

• Oxides of Nitrogen, associated with smog, increased by 19%, from 518,016,347 kilograms in 2002 to 615,652,281 kilograms in 2005.
• Particulate Matter 2.5, linked to respiratory illnesses, increased by 7%, from 48,373,815 kilograms in 2002 to 51,907,476 kilograms in 2005.
• Sulphur Dioxide increased by 4%, from 1,884,652,302 kilograms in 2002 to 1,964,579,136 kilograms in 2005.
• Air releases of mercury decreased by 9% from 2000 to 2005 (from 5,183 kg to 4,711 kg), although land releases of mercury increased by 848% between 2000 and 2005 (from 3,850 kg to 36,536 kg).

 The Top 10 facilities across Canada with the largest air releases of pollutants listed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA Toxics) accounted for 37% of total CEPA Toxic air pollution in 2005.

Top 10 CEPA Toxic Air Polluters in 2005 (kilograms)

Many of the Top 10 CEPA Toxic air polluters also reported emitting greenhouse gases in 2005. Five of the Top 10 CEPA Toxic air polluters also make up the list of top greenhouse gas emitters for 2005.

Top 10 Greenhouse Gas Emitters in 2005 (tonnes CO2 equivalent)

The PollutionWatch national overview also found that 62% of all chemical reports by facilities to the federal government's national pollution reporting program – the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) – in 2005 show no pollution prevention activity.

“ Canada needs a more robust CEPA to eliminate and reduce threats posed to human health and the environment from releases of toxic substances to air, land and water. Effective pollution prevention strategies are critical for reducing both toxic pollutants that harm human health and those that cause climate change,” said Joe Castrilli, counsel to the Canadian Environmental Law Association. “Federal and provincial governments must set mandatory reduction targets for toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases.”

Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association recommend the federal government:

• Release each of the two parliamentary committee reports on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) before March 31, 2007.
• Develop or accelerate reduction and elimination targets for CEPA toxic substances and require that targets are met using pollution prevention methods.
• Establish mandatory national emission standards, through global best practices, for all criteria air contaminants.
• Set timelines to virtually eliminate releases of carcinogens to the air and water by 2015.
• Ensure resources are directed to enhance and expand the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) program, including the requirement for mandatory pollution prevention plans from all facilities and closing reporting loopholes, such as the exemption for mining waste.
• Ensure Canada recommits to its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and establishes regulated targets and timelines for reducing greenhouse gases from large final emitters.

The PollutionWatch national pollution and greenhouse gas overview is available to download from the PollutionWatch web site: www.PollutionWatch.org . The overview is based on data submitted by companies to Environment Canada for its national pollution reporting program – the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) – and its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Program. The 2005 pollution and greenhouse gas emissions data are the most recently available.

PollutionWatch (www.PollutionWatch.org) is a collaborative project of Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

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For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Jennifer Foulds, Environmental Defence, (416) 323-9521 ext. 232; (647) 280-9521 (cell)

Fe de Leon, Canadian Environmental Law Association, (416) 960-2284 ext. 223; (416) 624-6758 (cell)