FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMPANY FINED FOR OFFERING OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES FOR SALE

SAINT JOHN, NB – November 30 , 2001 — Munro Electronics (1988) LTD. of Saint John, New Brunswick, has been ordered to pay $5,000 after pleading guilty on November 29th to two violations of Section 23 (2) of the Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulations. These regulations restrict the manufacture, import, export, sale, and offering for sale, of certain products containing ozone depleting substances.

The charges were as a result of routine inspections carried out in March and April 2001, where Environment Canada staff found for sale, on company shelves, pressurized products containing dichlorofluoroethane, an ozone depleting substance. In 1993 and 1997 the company received written warnings regarding the sale of ozone-depleting substances by Environment Canada Office of Enforcement staff. Then in 1999 the company president was personally informed of the regulations.

Although David Aggett, Manager of Environment Canada's Atlantic Region Enforcement Division, is satisfied with the outcome, he remains concerned that many electronics retailers continue to fail to police their own store shelves. "We‘ve had a number of high-profile cases like this over the past few years, but it looks like we will have to continue to pressure these shops to stop buying, stocking and selling these spray products," said Mr. Aggett.

This is the second case in the past few months where a Maritime company has pleaded guilty to charges involving the illegal sale of products containing ozone-depleting substances. In August of this year RAE Industrial Electronics Ltd., of Dartmouth, NS, was ordered to pay $5,000 after pleading guilty to a violation of Section 23 (2) of the Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulations.

The specific products involved in the Munro case were: Safezone Contact Re-Nu, and Static Free Contact Kleen ll, both clearly marked as containing hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s), which are banned substances.

A $1,000 fine will go directly to the provincial court. The remaining $4,000 has been directed to the federal government’s Environmental Damages Fund upon the Crown’s request. The fund, which is administered by Environment Canada, is applied to environmental assessments and activities to restore damaged areas of the environment.

The importation of small pressurized products containing HCFCs has been banned since January 1999 and they have been prohibited from being sold since January 2000. An education campaign has been ongoing for some time to deter retailers from selling products containing the banned substances.

The enforcement of the ozone-deleting substances regulation is part of Canada’s contribution and treaty obligation under the Montreal Protocol, which aims to remove the commercial distribution of ozone-depleting substances.

For further information contact:
David Aggett,
Enforcement Division,
Environment Canada, Atlantic Region
(902) 426-1925