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Notes for remarks

by

The Honourable Leona Dombrowsky
Minister of the Environment

on the release of

Transboundary Air Pollution in Ontario

Media Studio, Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON
Thursday, June 16, 2005

(Check Against Delivery)

Good morning.

I am here to tell you about an important advance in our understanding of the factors that influence air quality in Ontario.

I am joined by Dr. Ted Boadway of the Ontario Medical Association and Dr. David Yap, the Ministry of the Environment’s senior scientific advisor for air quality and meteorology.

After I am finished speaking, they will comment and then I will take questions.

As we gather here today, with summer fast approaching, we have already had six smog advisories across the province. These advisories have been in effect a total of 23 days.

These are more than mere numbers. They mean suffering for the most vulnerable among us – children, the elderly and people with asthma.

They mean that people’s activities are curtailed on days when they should be able to enjoy the sunshine outdoors.

This situation greatly concerns the McGuinty government.

Nothing is more important to us than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians.

Air pollution is one of the greatest threats to our way of life.

For decades, Ontario has been aware that we can only solve our air pollution problem if we work in partnership with the U.S.

American sources are major contributors to the pollution that harms our air and health.

Today, I am releasing a report that demonstrates more clearly than ever where transboundary air pollution comes from, who it affects and what its consequences are.

The report – called Transboundary Air Pollution in Ontario – gives us our first hard numbers.

It tells us that, every year, air pollution entering Ontario from the United States:

• contributes to more than 2,700 premature deaths;
• puts an estimated 12,000 people in hospital; and
• causes more than $5 billion in damage to Ontario’s people, economy and environment.

The report also tells us that, on high smog days, more than half of the ground-level ozone pollutants affecting Toronto’s air originated in the U.S.

The numbers are even worse for Windsor, where more than 90 per cent of these pollutants came from American sources, and Kingston, where the number is over 80 per cent.

It is clear that Ontario has little control over its own air quality on high smog days.

Obviously, the bad air is a problem for Americans too.

The American Lung Association estimates that 152 million Americans live in areas where the air is polluted, putting their health at risk and resulting in thousands of premature deaths each year.

Soot, smog, and mercury from power plants cause tens of thousands of deaths and illnesses each year among our infants and children, on both sides of our shared border.

Children are exposed to air pollution at home, at school, and at play. They are more susceptible and more heavily exposed than adults.

Two weeks ago in Walkerton, I listened to Robert Kennedy speak about the need to protect the water and air that we share.

I agree with Mr. Kennedy that the key role of government is to protect the commons and ensure that our children can enjoy clean air and water.

It is clear that we need to work with our American friends and neighbours to find cross-border solutions to cleaning up the air that we all breathe.

Transboundary pollution problems require transboundary solutions.

Let me be very clear that this report is not meant to point an accusing finger. We want to work with other jurisdictions to address the problem.

Ontario acknowledges its own responsibility for contributing to air problems.

We generate air pollutants that do cause problems in this province.

Our emissions also have minor effects on the air over Quebec, Eastern Canada and the U.S., including New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.

We are serious about meeting our responsibility.

We are taking strong action to reduce airborne emissions from the three major domestic sources– vehicles, power generation and industrial activities.

We are continuing to ensure that Drive Clean effectively protects our air from contaminants emitted by vehicles.

We have strengthened Drive Clean vehicle emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses, as well as light-duty cars and trucks.

We are also promoting cleaner transportation alternatives.

We have dedicated two cents of the gas tax for public transit and pledged a further $1 billion for GO transit and $1 billion for the Toronto Transit Commission.

We are making good on our commitment to replace coal-fired power generation with cleaner, greener energy.

We have already seen the closure of the Lakeview Generating Station, the biggest single source of air pollution in the Greater Toronto Area.

We are making good progress to make Ontario a leader in clean and renewable energy sources. And we are making conservation count with consumer tools like Smart Meters and broad based education.

We are getting our house in order.

We must keep in mind one of the key messages of the report: We cannot fight air pollution alone.

This report uses the latest in scientific modeling to show that – even if you could reduce Ontario’s emissions to zero during high smog days – ozone levels would be reduced by a mere one per cent in Windsor, seven per cent in Kingston and 16 per cent in Oshawa.

We are actively taking our case to neighbouring states.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has been very forceful in expressing Ontario’s concerns over the course of U.S. energy policies.

He has noted that while Ontario is moving away from coal-fired power generation, some jurisdictions are moving in the opposite direction.

New coal facilities are being built, many upwind of Ontario.

The Premier has called on other jurisdictions to work with us to create an innovative clean energy system for the Great Lakes region.

As the Premier has said, “We’re breathing their air, and they’re breathing our air. It would be a good thing if we begin to approach it in a way that recognizes our right on each side of the border to breath cleaner air.”

On Monday, the Premier will host the Shared Air Summit, which will bring together leading North American experts to discuss air quality issues and their impact on health, the environment and the economy.

The Shared Air Summit will also encourage finding cross-border solutions to cleaning up the air.

We will do everything in our power to convince our American friends that we share common interests and must present a common front against air pollution to save lives in the United States and Ontario.

Last week, I announced an agreement between Ontario and the federal government to pursue initiatives that will have the greatest impact on climate change and significant benefits for reducing air pollution.

We need the same kind of partnership with our American friends and neighbours.

The future of our children and future generations – on both sides of the border – depends on our ability to work together today.

Ontario is showing that we are up to the challenge.

Now, I would like to ask Dr. Boadway to discuss the OMA’s position on smog.

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