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News Release

For immediate release
June 19, 2003

EVES GOVERNMENT TO STRENGTHEN USED TIRES REGULATION TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF WEST NILE VIRUS

TORONTO — The Ernie Eves government is proposing to strengthen the Ministry of the Environment’s used tire regulation to help prevent the spread of West Nile virus, Environment Minister Jim Wilson announced today.

The Eves government is proposing to amend Regulation 347 under the Environmental Protection Act, and require used tire sites that pose a risk of spreading West Nile virus to develop and implement a plan to address this risk. Water and debris that collect in outdoor used tires has the potential to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus. Current regulatory requirements regarding used tire piles do not address this concern.

“Our government is committed to helping prevent the spread of West Nile virus,” said Environment Minister Jim Wilson. “This stronger regulation would provide clear authority to reduce the threat of West Nile virus from used tire stockpiles.”

Under the proposed changes, provincial officers could do a local risk assessment of a used tire site in partnership with the local medical officer of health, using the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s West Nile Virus Preparedness and Prevention Plan for Ontario.

If a health risk associated to West Nile virus is determined, the provincial officer would require the person responsible for the used tires to prepare a West Nile virus management plan within five days. This plan would describe the measures that would be taken for the prevention or control of the mosquito-borne disease, including those identified by the medical officer of health and provincial officer. The plan would set out an implementation schedule, and the owner of the site would be required to implement the plan within the time line identified.

If the owner of the site did not comply with these requirements, the ministry could then order the owner to remove used tires from the site, or take other appropriate measures to address the health risk.

In March 2003, the Minister of the Environment asked Waste Diversion Ontario to develop a waste diversion program for used tires. Once this program has been developed and implemented, the need for used tire sites should be significantly reduced. In the interim, this amendment would ensure that those sites that pose a West Nile virus risk are managed in a way that reduces risk by reducing potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The proposed amendments to the regulation have been posted to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry for a 30-day public comment period.

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Contact:

Amanda Kusick
Minister’s Office
(416) 314-5454

John Steele
Communications Branch
Ministry of the Environment
(416) 314-6666