TORONTO, Ontario, April
26, 2007 - The Honourable John Baird, Minister
of the Environment, today unveiled Turning
the Corner: An Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse
Gases and Air Pollution, which will see
the federal government for the first-time
ever force industry to reduce greenhouse
gases and air pollution.
Canada's New Government will impose mandatory
targets on industry, so that greenhouse
gases come down and we achieve our goal
of an absolute reduction of 150 megatonnes
by 2020. As well, we will impose targets
on industry so that air pollution from industry
is cut in half by 2015.
"Canada needs to do a U-Turn, because
we are going in the wrong direction. Since
the Liberals promised to reduce greenhouse
gases in 1997, they have only gone up,"
said Minister Baird. "Canadians want
action, they want it now and our government
is delivering. We are serving notice that
beginning today, industry will need to make
real reductions."
Industry produces about half of Canada's
greenhouse gas and air pollution. The Government
is setting targets that begin immediately
for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions
and air pollution.
These industrial targets, combined with
the other actions announced to date to tackle
climate change, will turn things around.
Under the previous government, greenhouse
gas emissions went up year after year. Canada's
New Government's Turning the Corner Plan,
by contrast, will cut 150 megatonnes by
2020.
"In as little as three years, greenhouse
gases could be going down, instead of up,"
said Minister Baird. "After years of
inaction, Canada now has one of the most
aggressive plans to tackle greenhouse gases
and air pollution in the world."
Companies will be able to choose the most
cost-effective way to meet their targets
from a range of options: in-house reductions,
contributions to a capped technology fund,
domestic emissions trading and offsets and
access to the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development
Mechanism. Companies that have already reduced
their greenhouse gas emissions prior to
2006 will be rewarded with a limited one-time
credit for early action.
These tough industrial regulations will
have real, tangible health and environmental
benefits for Canadians, and these, in turn,
will have many positive economic effects.
The Government's Turning the Corner Plan
will promote investment in technology and
innovation in Canada, yielding long-term
economic benefits from enhanced productivity,
improved energy efficiency, greater competitiveness,
more opportunity to sell Canadian environmental
products and know-how abroad, and more jobs
for Canadians.
In addition to measures to reduce air emissions
from industry, this Government is committed
to addressing emissions from transportation
by regulating for the first time the fuel
efficiency of cars and light duty trucks,
beginning with the 2011 model year. We will
also strengthen energy efficiency standards
for a number of energy-using products, including
light bulbs, and for the first time ever,
the Government has recognized the urgent
need to take action to improve indoor air
quality and committed to implement measures
to do so.
For more information on what the Government
is doing to tackle climate change and reduce
air pollution, visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca
or call 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232,
or TTY 1-800-926-9105).
The following information was presented
to provinces, territories, industry representatives
and other stakeholders including academics,
health and environmental groups the week
of April 30, 2007. The PowerPoint slides
provide further details on the Government's
Regulatory Framework for Industrial Air
Emissions which was released April 26, 2007
as part of the Turning the Corner: An Action
Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air
Pollution announcement. The html version
of this deck will be made available soon.
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
9112-7480 Québec Inc. Pleads Guilty
to Charges under the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act (1999)
MONTREAL, Quebec, August 27, 2007 - Environment
Canada announced that 9112-7480 Québec
Inc., operator of Nettoyeur Brillant in
Montreal, Quebec, appeared before a judge
of the Court of Quebec and entered a plea
of guilty to charges under the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act (1999) and
attendant Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry
Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations.
9112-7480 Québec Inc. pleaded guilty
to four counts of using tetrachloroethylene
(TCE) for dry cleaning while failing to
comply with its obligations under the Tetrachloroethylene
(Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements)
Regulations. The company also pleaded guilty
to a fifth charge, involving non-compliance
between November 22 and 30, 2005 with an
Environmental Protection Compliance Order,
in contravention of the provisions of paragraph
272(1)(c) of the Act.
The Court of Quebec sentenced 9112-7480
Québec Inc. to pay a total of $3,904.88,
which included a fine of $1,400, $404.88
as reimbursement to the Department for costs
incurred in the proper disposal of TCE-containing
waste, and an obligation to pay $2,100 into
the Environmental Damages Fund administered
by Environment Canada, which will be used
to promote and fund restoration projects.
The Fund also helps make offender firms
accountable and allows the courts to ensure
that the sums in question will be used to
improve environmental quality.
The charges were brought following an investigation
conducted by officers from Environment Canada's
Environmental Enforcement Division, Quebec
Region. Environment Canada investigates
contraventions to the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act (1999) and the pollution-prevention
provisions of the Fisheries Act, ensuring
that companies and individuals comply with
legislation aimed at protecting Canada's
environment.
For further details on the Environmental
Protection Act enforcement program, go to
Environment Canada's Green Lane site at
http://www.ec.gc.ca/ele-ale/.
Diane Dupras
Acting Manager, Investigations
Environmental Enforcement
