Environmental Agreement to Reduce Pollution

OTTAWA, February 13, 2002 - The governments of Canada, Alberta and Ontario have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association (CCPA) that will lead to a reduction in pollutants, including those causing smog.

The objective of the new MOU is to prevent and reduce the release of toxic and other chemical substances through voluntary, non-regulatory action by encouraging and publicly recognizing progress on the part of the CCPA and its member companies.

"In addition to taking actions under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to protect the health and environment of Canadians, voluntary measures such as this Memorandum of Understanding are also an effective means of accelerating the reduction of toxic substances and other pollutants released to the air, water and land," said Environment Minister David Anderson.

The MOU was developed in cooperation with industry, the Government of Canada, the provinces of Alberta and Ontario who account for over 80% of chemical production in Canada and non-governmental organizations including Pollution Probe and two members of the CCPA Advisory Panel for Responsible Care. Established in 1985, Responsible Care is an industry-led initiative to improve the safe and environmentally sound management of chemicals.

"The new Memorandum of Understanding signals the commitment of the federal government and its partners to protect the health of Canadians from the adverse effects of air pollution and toxic substances," said Health Minister Anne McLellan. "Our continued success is only as strong as our shared determination to build a healthier and cleaner environment," the Minister said.

"Under Responsible Care, our members are committed to reducing emissions and working with communities to improve our environmental performance. This MOU provides a framework for CCPA members, in the spirit of Responsible Care, to work with the Government of Canada, two provincial governments and non-government stakeholders to further progress in an important shared priority: improving the environment," added Richard Paton, President of CCPA.

"This model for cooperative action between governments and industry means Canada can find innovative ways to protect the environment," said Industry Minister Allan Rock. "Canadians will benefit from this pro-active approach."

"It's encouraging to see industry and government working together under an agreement like this to protect our environment," said Lorne Taylor, Alberta's Minister of Environment. "I am confident this is going to challenge the companies involved to take voluntary action to reduce emissions that could affect our environment, resulting in cleaner air for all of us."

"This agreement commits the chemical sector to reduce its smog-causing emissions of volatile organic compounds by 63 per cent in Ontario by the end of 2002," said Ontario Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer. "Since half of all Canadian chemical producers are located in Ontario, this commitment will significantly benefit Ontario's air quality."

The first MOU between the Government of Canada and CCPA was signed in 1994 and led to significant progress in reducing emissions of toxic substances from this sector. Between 1994 and 1998, CEPA toxic substances such as Benzene and Butadiene, were reduced by more than 50%.

Signatories committed to continuously improve the management of CEPA toxic substances. The MOU contains an Annex on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) reductions, with clear objectives and measurable results. VOC's were assigned a high priority in the new MOU because they are both a significant proportion of the air emissions from this sector and because of their role as smog precursors. In addition, a substantial component of CEPA toxics such as Benzene, are captured in the VOC category.

Related documents:

• Memorandum of Understanding
  - [Backgrounder, 2002-02-13]