E-M:/ Environment Canada News Release - ENVIRONMENT CANADA CALLS FOR FASTER REDUCTIONS IN AIR POLLUTANTS FROM U.S. POWER PLANTS

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>Environment Canada News Release
>------------------------------------------------------------
>"ENVIRONMENT CANADA CALLS FOR FASTER REDUCTIONS IN AIR POLLUTANTS FROM 
>U.S. POWER PLANTS"
>
>OTTAWA, April 1st, 2004 - The need for faster action in the U.S. to reduce 
>mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants to better protect the 
>health and environment of Canadians is highlighted today in a submission 
>from Environment Canada to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
>
>The submission from Environment Canada is in response to two options for 
>an EPA rule to reduce Mercury emissions from U.S. power plants: a standard 
>which would reduce emission by 30% by 2007; or a two stage approach with 
>targets of 30% by 2010 and 70% by 2018.  Environment Canada supports the 
>efforts being made by the EPA to limit emissions of mercury.  The 
>department's modelling indicates that approximately 10% of the mercury 
>deposited in Canada each year comes from U.S. sources, with that figure 
>climbing to 38% in the Great Lakes Region, home to more than nine million 
>Canadians.  Mercury also has a serious and disproportionate impact on 
>Canada's Northern and Arctic communities.  As a result, mercury reductions 
>in the United States are needed to help protect human health and the 
>environment in Canada.
>
>The Department notes in its submission that the Government of Canada is 
>working with its provincial and territorial partners to put in place a 
>Canada-wide Standard that will prevent the release into the environment of 
>60-90 percent of the mercury in coal by 2010.  Therefore, Canada is urging 
>the United States to set stricter standards for mercury to be met by 2010 
>so that the health and environmental benefits from reduced air pollution 
>are in place more quickly.
>
>Environment Canada also notes that its efforts to promote the reduction of 
>mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants are not confined to North 
>America but also includes working with other countries, such as China, to 
>encourage them to take action to cut mercury emissions.  More than 20% of 
>the airborne mercury that falls on Canada annually comes from Asia.
>
>Environment Canada also submitted its opinion to the EPA on another 
>proposed U.S. rule for reducing Nitrogen Oxides and Sulphur Dioxide, 
>pollutants which contribute to acid rain and smog.  The EPA is proposing 
>to reduce emissions from electric generating units by about 65 percent 
>from power plants in 29 eastern and Midwestern states by 2015.  The 
>department supports U.S. efforts to update its rules and encourages the 
>EPA to finalize the caps with targets and timelines that are as aggressive 
>as possible and are implemented as early as possible.  In Canada, 
>federal-provincial and territorial governments are working under 
>Canada-Wide Standards to have substantial reductions in these pollutants 
>by 2010.
>
>Collaboration between the two countries under the CanadaU.S. Air Quality 
>agreement led to the substantial reductions in Acid Rain pollutants in the 
>1980s and 90s and the 2000 Ozone Annex is leading to further reductions in 
>smog pollutants now.
>
>Copies of the two submissions: "Proposed National Emission Standards for 
>Hazardous Air Pollutants; and, in the alternative, proposed standards of 
>performance for new and existing stationary sources:  Electric Utility 
>Steam Generating Units"; and "Proposed rule to reduce interstate transport 
>of fine particulate matter and ozone (interstate Air Quality rule)" are 
>available from Environment Canada's web site 
>at  www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/can_us/canus_trans_e.cfm
>
>For further information please visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/media_e.htm
>------------------------------------------------------------


Derek Coronado
Research and Policy Coordinator,
Citizens Environment Alliance of southwestern Ontario
275 Oak Avenue
Windsor, Ontario
N9A 5E5
phone: (519) 973-1116
fax: (519) 973-8360
www.mnsi.net/~cea



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