FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Company Fined For Offering Ozone Depleting Substances For Sale

Dartmouth, NS - Sept. 5, 2001- RAE Industrial Electronics Ltd., of Dartmouth, NS, has been ordered to pay $5,000 after pleading guilty on August 29th to a violation of Section 23 (2) of the Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulations.

Environment Canada laid charges in June after a routine inspection in April of this year found for sale, on company shelves, pressurized products containing up to 2kgs of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, an ozone depleting substance.

David Aggett, Manager of Environment Canada's Atlantic Region Enforcement Division, is pleased with the outcome, but remains concerned that many electronics retailers continue to fail to police their own store shelves. "We have 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.

The specific products involved in this case were: Safezone Contact Re-Nu, Static Free Contact Kleen ll and Southern Pac Precision Contact Cleaner, all clearly marked as containing the 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 Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulations restrict the sale, or offering for sale, of ozone-depleting products. The enforcement of these regulations is part of Canada’s contribution and treaty obligation under the Montreal Protocol, which aims to remove ozone - depleting substances from the atmosphere.

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