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Canadian pollution prevention record disappointing (Updated May 25, 2005)
May 24, 2005

Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy comments on Commission for Environmental Cooperation Report released today

“Pollution Prevention Planning should be a priority for governments, industries and citizens,” says Anne Mitchell, Executive Director of CIELAP. This statement was made in response to today’s release of the Taking Stock Report which highlights that three million tons of chemical pollutants are still being released and transferred in North America annually.

Mitchell observed, “According to the Taking Stock report, although North America wide total releases and transfers of pollutants fell by 7 percent from 1998 to 2002, Canadian total releases and transfers increased by 7 percent for the same period; on site air releases increased by 8 per cent.”

“There is a difference in US and Canadian performance with respect to air pollution,” said Mitchell. “We note with concern that while air pollution has declined in the US by 21% in Canada it has gone up by 8%.”

Mitchell stated, “The appropriate response to this is to follow through on the Ontario promise to close coal power plants by 2007. The second priority would be reducing emissions from the mining sector, steel and metal smelters. We suggest that areas which need additional attention are the pulp and paper, cement kilns, chemical and the vehicle manufacturers’ areas.”

“While pollution prevention is cited as a national priority, words and good intentions must be translated into action and results”, Mitchell concluded.

Relevant statistics from the Taking Stock Report released May 24, 2005

Top 5 Jurisdiction in North America for air pollution

  1. Ohio (52,481,666 kg of pollutants)
  2. Ontario (48,189,898 kg of pollutants)
  3. Georgia (42,464,792 kg of pollutants)
  4. Tennessee (39,406,597 kg of pollutants)
  5. Pennsylvania (38,016,923 kg. of pollutants)
Top 5 facilities with the largest change (increase) in total releases (on and off site between 1998 and 2002 in Canada
  1. Clean Harbors Canada Inc. (Corunna, Ontario)
  2. Ontario Power Generation (Nanticoke Power Station, Ontario)
  3. Teck-Cominco Metals Ltd (Trail, BC)
  4. Norske Skog Canada Ltd (Crofton, BC)
  5. Stora Enso (Port Hawkesbury, NS)
Top 3 Mercury emitters (to the air) in North America
  1. Hudson Bay Mining Smelter (1,334 kg mercury) (Flin Flon, Manitoba)
  2. Lehigh South West Cement Company (1,064 kg merrcury) (Tehachapi, California)
  3. Limestone Electric generating Station (816 kg. mercury) (Jewelt, Texas)
CIELAP’s Pollution Prevention Citizens’ Guide can be downloaded @ www.cielap.org
For additional commentary please contact:
Anne Mitchell
Executive Director
(416) 923-3529


The Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy has for been commenting on and monitoring policy and regulatory changes related to the environment for 30 years.