Government of Canada Unveils $120 Million Clean Air Action Plan to Protect the Health of Canadians

Ottawa, February 19, 2001 - The Government of Canada will invest $120.2 million in new measures to accelerate action on clean air, Environment Minister David Anderson announced today.

The action plan focuses on a 10 year regulatory road map for cleaner vehicles and fuels, initial measures to reduce smog causing emissions from industrial sectors, improvements to the cross country network of pollutant monitoring stations and expansion of the public reporting by industry on pollutant releases. The plan will deliver cleaner air to 30 million Canadians and ensure Canada meets its commitments to implement the Canada-U.S. Ozone Annex signed in December 2000.

"Last spring I launched the Clean Air strategy and today I'm delivering on our promises," said Minister Anderson. "That strategy included steps to reduce transboundary pollution, to ensure cleaner transportation, to reduce the emission of smog pollutants from industrial sectors, to initiate more clean air science and to help Canadians and communities who want to take their own clean air actions. We've signed the Ozone Annex with the U.S, we're delivering a regulatory plan for cleaner vehicles and fuels, we're strengthening our monitoring and public reporting of contaminants and we've started the work to reduce emissions from the industrial sector."

The Ozone Annex, negotiated last year under the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement, includes commitments by both countries to dramatically reduce the smog-causing pollutants nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds that cause ground-level ozone to form and which create health and environmental problems on both sides of the border. The Annex also contains commitments on monitoring and reporting measures.

"We know that air pollution affects our health, and that children, senior citizens and those with respiratory and cardiac illness are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of dirty air", said Minister Anderson. "Therefore, our job is not finished. We will continue to work on reducing emissions from industrial sectors, on engaging more and more Canadians and on strengthening the foundation of clean air science."

The $120.2 million investment in cleaner air builds on earlier initiatives including regulations to reduce sulphur levels in gasoline, measures to enhance science and monitoring programs on acid rain and leading in the development of a United Nations treaty to reduce Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs and dioxins and furans.

Government measures directed at reducing air pollutants complement initiatives to combat climate change. Bringing cleaner fuels, alternative energy sources and greener transportation to Canadians also reduce greenhouse gases emissions, and will help Canada reach its international commitments on climate change.

Related documents:

• Providing Cleaner Air to Canadians [fact sheet, 2001-02-19]
  (266 Kb, .pdf format)
• Speaking Notes for the Hon. David Anderson, P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment at the News Conference on Securing Clean Air for Canadians: Update 2001 [speech, 2001-02-19]
• Clean Air Website [information collection]
• National Pollutants Release Inventory Web Site [information collection]
• CEPA Environmental Registry Web Site [information collection]