NEWS RELEASES
CANADA AND THE U.S. LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS ON TRANSBOUNDARY SMOG
April 21, 1999 (3:15 p.m. EDT) No. 87
CANADA AND THE U.S. LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS ON TRANSBOUNDARY SMOG
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Environment Minister Christine Stewart today announced that Canada
and the United States will launch negotiations to reduce transboundary smog.
"Smog knows no borders," Mr. Axworthy stated. "This decision underlines the joint commitment of Canada and the
U.S. to take effective action to tackle and resolve environmental hazards that can impair health on both sides of the
border."
Strong scientific evidence points to serious health risks from smog, including increased hospital admissions and
premature death. Recent health and environmental studies in both countries confirm that adverse effects from
ozone exposure can occur at concentrations much lower than previously thought.
The negotiations, which both countries hope to complete in 2000, will take place under the 1991 Canada-U.S. Air
Quality Agreement, and will result in a ground-level ozone annex to the agreement. The annex will contain
commitments by both countries to reduce smog producing emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) within their borders. About 50 percent of the ozone component of smog in the
Windsor-Quebec City corridor and up to 90 percent in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia originate in the United
States.
"All Canadians, especially those from Ontario through to Nova Scotia, will see direct health benefits from an ozone
annex with the U.S.," said Minister Stewart. "This commitment between Canada and the United States to reduce air
pollutants will demonstrate to both Canadians and Americans that cleaner and healthier air is a goal for both
countries."
Minister Stewart also noted that the Government of Canada agreed to pursue negotiations with the United States
following discussions with provincial Ministers of the Environment and Energy at their meeting in Halifax last
October. "All governments in Canada agreed that ozone should be a priority issue for discussion with the United
States," said Minister Stewart.
Reducing the causes of smog is an air quality priority in Canada. The Phase 3 Federal Smog Plan under
development, provincial smog programs already in place and the work of Canadian governments to set Canada-wide standards for ground-level ozone are each important facets of the Canadian response to air pollution.
Canada and the U.S. also released today a report from the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Committee on the transport of
ground-level ozone (Ground-Level Ozone: Occurrence and Transport in Eastern North America). The report
concludes that the "results offer clear evidence of the rationale for discussing an effective bi-national approach for
management of ozone and its precursors in eastern North America."
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The report: Ground-Level Ozone: Occurrence and Transport in Eastern North America, is available on the
Environment Canada (http://www.ec.gc.ca) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca) Internet sites.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Brigitte Nolet
Office of the Minister of the Environment
(819) 997-1441
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
Jane Barton
Environment Canada
(819) 994-3655
This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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