The Government of Canada is taking action on clean air that will bring benefits in the short-term, and setting a long-term agenda that will mean clean air for generations to come. Clean air is being addressed by actions on transportation emissions, transboundary pollution, industrial emissions and science, along with encouragement for the many different things that can be done at the corporate level and by individuals.

Canada is developing an integrated strategy of actions on clean air in the areas of vehicles and the fuels that power them, industrial emissions, negotiating to reduce transboundary air pollution with the United States, and engaging Canadians in solutions. The following is a sample of actions to date and many of those underway:

CEPA

• The new Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) provides the Government of Canada with new enforcement tools and powers to reduce pollution and to eliminate and regulate emissions of toxic substances.

• Particulate Matter less than or equal to 10 microns (PM<10) has been declared toxic under the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999). This action will result in specific emission reduction targets with timetables to meet those targets for key industrial sectors.

Science, Reporting and Monitoring

• Additional resources of $2.1 million over 5 years to improve federal science and monitoring programs for acid rain were announced

• The National Pollutants Release Inventory (NPRI) is a powerful nationwide tool to inform the Canadian public about toxic substances released in their communities, including those released into the air, water and land. The NPRI is a useful tool for government, industry, individuals and community groups to track progress in pollutant release reductions and identify priorities for action. The NPRI continues to improve and expand, providing Canadians with more information.

• Canada has doubled funding for federal-provincial air pollution monitoring with an additional $1.2 million for the National Air Pollution Surveillance Network (NAPs).

• Canada initiated the first pilot program in 1999 on smog forecasting in New Brunswick.

• A pilot project is currently underway to share smog forecasting information with provincial and municipal governments in the Vancouver area. The program will be fully operational in 2001.

• Canada is strengthening the science of clean air through the provision of $60 million to create the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences to strengthen science capacity in air quality, climate change and extreme weather issues.

Vehicles and Fuels

• Environment Canada launched the first consultations on future requirements for vehicle emissions standards to reduce pollution from vehicles and fuels with health and environmental groups, the petroleum refining industry, automotive and engine manufacturers and the alternative fuels sector. A "Notice of Intent", a formal statement of the federal government's specific implementation plans, will be published by the end of this year.

• Canada is reducing sulphur in gasoline through regulations that require reductions across Canada to 150 parts per million (ppm) by 2002 and 30 ppm by the end of 2004. The reductions are especially important in Ontario, which has the highest sulphur levels in gasoline in Canada. These regulations will avoid, over the next 20 years, more than 2000 premature deaths, 93,000 cases of bronchitis in children and 11 million incidents of respiratory problems such as asthma attacks.

• Sulphur in Diesel Regulations, effective since January 1, 1998, limit the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in on road vehicles to a maximum of 500 ppm.

• The Government has also announced its intention to further reduce sulphur in diesel to 15 parts per million (ppm) by 2006 in line with similar requirements for diesel sold in the United States.

• Benzene in Gasoline Regulations, effective since July 1999, require reduced levels of benzene in gasoline.

• Environment Canada worked closely with the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), Bombardier and other private sector partners to deliver a major nation-wide sustainable transportation campaign that ran in 61 Canadian cities. The campaign focused on letting the public know about alternatives to single-occupant vehicles and highlighted the role of public transit in creating cleaner and healthier communities.

International

• Canada has launched negotiations to reduce transboundary smog with the United States for an Ozone Annex under the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement, 1991. The Annex is designed to reduce air pollution flows from the United States into Canada, and to include action within Canada to reduce flows from Ontario and Quebec into the United States.

• Canada is leading the negotiation of a global agreement under the United Nations Environment Program to reduce and eliminate the release through the atmosphere of the world's most toxic pollutants, such as DDT and PCBs. Canada is affected by these and other pollutants through global transport in the atmosphere. In the Federal Budget 2000, Canada committed $20 million to be allocated over the next five years to projects that will help developing countries and countries with economies in transition to reduce or eliminate the release of persistent organic pollutants into the environment.

• Canada is signatory to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Protocols on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Heavy Metals.

Infrastructure

• Canada is working in partnership with provinces, territories and municipalities to improve local access to clean air, clean water and to reduce the threat of climate change in urban and rural centres by:

  • providing $25 million to create the Green Municipal Enabling Fund and $100 million to create the Green Municipal Investment Fund. Both these funds will provide grants, loans and loan guarantees for projects that increase the environmental efficiency and cost-effectiveness of existing municipal water, wastewater, waste, energy and public transportation facilities.

  • contributing towards a federal-provincial-territorial-municipal infrastructure program for the construction of new municipal infrastructure, with a focus on green municipal infrastructure (water and wastewater treatment, waste management, public transit and energy services).

• The Government of Canada has committed to a new infrastructure program which over six years will invest $2.65 billion with the first priority in the new program being Green Infrastructure projects focusing on clean air and water and waste water.

For further information:

• Clean Air Science
  
  • Air Quality - Science
  • The National Air Pollution Surveillance Network (NAPS)
    
    
• Industry
  • Achieving the Canada-Wide Standard for Ozone by 2010
    
  • Acid Rain Update
    
    
• Vehicles and Fuels
  
  • Taking Action on Vehicles and Fuels
    
    
• International Agreements
  
  • The Ozone Annex to the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement, 1991
    
    
• Government Operations
  
  • Ontario Region Federal Government Departments Corporate Smog Action Plan