News Release

March 17, 2003

ONTARIO IMPLEMENTS KEY CANADA-WIDE AIR STANDARDS

TORONTO — As part of its commitment to improve air quality, the Ontario government is implementing stringent standards for mercury, dioxins and furans emissions established by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, Environment Minister Chris Stockwell announced today. Ontario’s efforts to reduce benzene emissions contributed to achieving the initial goal for reducing these emissions across the country.

“Reducing emissions of mercury, dioxins, furans and benzene protects human health and the environment in Ontario and across Canada,” Stockwell said. “Our government has successfully done its part toward the achievement of the national goal of a 30 per cent overall reduction in benzene emissions in 2000 from 1995 levels, but there is more work to do.”

Ontario’s plan for implementing the emissions standards for mercury, dioxins and furans from incinerators was posted today on the Ministry of the Environment’s Web site. Ontario has already taken action by amending the Certificates of Approval for a number of existing incinerators to include the new standards. Certificates of Approval are legal instruments used to impose and require facilities to comply with emissions limits. For new incinerators, the standards for mercury, dioxins and furans will be incorporated into their certificates.

The province’s progress report on the Phase 1 standard for benzene from the chemical and steel manufacturing, and petroleum refining sectors as well as transportation sources including cars was also posted today.

The government is taking actions on many fronts to fight smog and other forms of air pollution in Ontario, including:

proposing a Clean Air Plan for Industry;
implementing stringent emission caps for the electricity sector;
phasing out existing hospital incinerators by December 6, 2003;
requiring the electricity, industrial, commercial, institutional and municipal sectors to monitor and report on emissions of 358 air contaminants;
expanding Drive Clean, Ontario’s vehicle emissions testing program, to cover the entire southern Ontario smog zone;
requiring the Lakeview Generating Station in Mississauga to stop burning coal by April 2005; and
giving the public access to information on air pollution posted by emitters across the province through OnAIR, the new on-line emissions reporting registry.

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Contacts:
John Steele
Communications Branch
(416) 314-6666

Diana Arajs
Minister’s Office
(416) 314-6736