Process Begins To Develop Long Term Agenda To Reduce Air Pollution From Vehicles And Fuels

Toronto -- May 26, 2000 -- Environment Minister David Anderson today announced the first consultations to reduce pollution from vehicles and the fuels that power them. The consultations will produce a Notice of Intent later this year listing the specific actions required to significantly reduce air pollution from cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) heavy duty vehicles including buses, off road equipment and petroleum fuels.

"Canadians are concerned about the health impacts of air pollution and cleaner air is my number one priority ," said Minister Anderson. "This is why Canada is moving to put new standards in place to cut smog-causing emissions, such as nitrogen oxides, from vehicles."

With the introduction of the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) earlier this year, the responsibility for vehicle regulation has been transferred from Transport Canada to Environment Canada, and new provisions now allow the regulation of off-road vehicles and engines.

A two day consultation workshop in Toronto May 25 and 26 is seeking input from health and environmental groups, the petroleum refining industry, automotive and engine manufacturers and the alternative fuels sector on the how the new Canadian standards will work. The participants will discuss:

• U.S. and European Union Vehicle Emissions Standards;
• the challenges and technologies to produce and use ultra-low Sulphur fuels;
• alternative and renewable fuels, such as ethanol and natural gas; and
• how lowering emissions also helps to address climate change.

The approach is to align Canadian standards with those in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is setting new standards for cars and light duty trucks, including SUVs to be phased in from model year 2004 to 2009.

"Our government has already mandated cleaner fuels through the regulation to reduce the sulphur content in gasoline to 30 parts per million by the end of 2004," said Minister Anderson. "But we haven't finished. We are now consulting on a sulfur content in diesel fuel level of 15 ppm by 2006, down from today's maximum of 500 ppm."

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment Paddy Torsney today opened a two-day consultation workshop in Toronto. "Canadians want clean air," said Ms. Torsney, "Under new authorities in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, we are taking today the first steps in developing an integrated approach on the transportation sector - on vehicles and the fuels that power them."

Over the past several years, the Government of Canada has been active in requiring cleaner vehicles and fuels in the Canadian market. Regulations have been put into place that have kept vehicle emissions standards in Canada up to date with those in the United States, and fuel regulations have limited benzene and sulphur in gasoline, and sulphur in diesel.