Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Protocol to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) on Heavy Metals

Status

Signed June 24, 1998
Ratified December 18, 1998
In force 90 days after 16 countries have ratified the Protocol which is likely to occur sometime in the year 2002.

Objectives

The Protocol aims to cut emissions from industrial sources (iron and steel industry, non-ferrous metals industry), combustion processes (power generation, road transport), and waste incineration. It sets limits for emissions from stationary sources and suggests best available techniques, such as special filters, scrubbers, or mercury-free processes, to achieve these limits. The Protocol requires countries to phase-out leaded petrol (gasoline) and introduces measures to lower emissions of mercury from products such as batteries.

Commitments

For the 3 specified Heavy Metals (HMs) (cadmium, lead, mercury), Canada will be required to:

• control atmospheric emissions from new plants in designated industrial sectors;
• reduce atmospheric emissions from existing facilities by 50% (based on 1990 values);
• control lead content in gasoline and mercury content in alkaline batteries; and
• develop and maintain emission inventories for specified HMs.

Action Required

Collectively, the existing federal, provincial, and territorial management instruments provide appropriate mechanisms for implementing Canada's commitments under this Protocol.

Activities

A Strategy Implementation Framework was developed by the National Air Issues Co-ordinating Committee-Air Hazardous Air Pollutants (NACICC-AHAPS) Task Group in 1998-1999.

Evidence of Compliance

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Heavy Metals (HMs) Protocol is not in force yet. Performance measures will only be relevant when the Protocol comes into effect.

http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/