OTTAWA, Ont. – April
5, 2013 – Canada's Environment Minister,
the Honourable Peter Kent, today announced
funding to respond to the threat of White-nose
Syndrome, a fungal disease that is threatening
bat species in North America. An additional
$330,000 in funding over the next four years
is being provided to the Canadian Cooperative
Wildlife Health Centre at the University
of Saskatchewan.
“We take our role in
protecting and conserving species in Canada
very seriously,” said Minister Kent. “By
providing for national coordination of Canada’s
response to the disease, we will be able
to maximize the contributions of our provincial,
territorial and private sector partners,
as well as ensure consistency in our approach.”
The new Contribution
Agreement will facilitate national coordination,
surveillance and response to the danger
posed by White Nose Syndrome to bat species
in Canada. National coordination will ensure
efficient and effective use of resources
in areas such as disease surveillance, reducing
rates of transmission, public communication,
and research into appropriate conservation
actions, as well as facilitating information
exchange with similar interests in the United
States. An initial amount of $50,000 was
awarded earlier this year to the Centre
to support surveillance and related activities.
White Nose Syndrome
has led to serious declines in bat populations
throughout eastern Canada and the eastern
United States. More than 5.5 million bats
are estimated to have died so far. Locations
in Canada where bats are known to have been
exposed to the fungus for two years or more
have experienced declines of over 94 percent,
with some as high as 99 percent. The three
bat species that are affected are the Little
Brown Myotis (also called Little Brown Bat),
the Tri-colored Bat (formerly called Eastern
Pipistrelle) and the Northern Myotis (also
called Northern Long-eared Bat).
The Canadian Cooperative
Wildlife Health Centre has extensive knowledge
and expertise in the field of national wildlife
disease issues, and is set up for working
with wildlife disease experts across all
jurisdictions of Canada.
+ More
Toxco Waste Management
Ltd. Fined $17,500 for Importing Hazardous
Recyclable Material
ROSSLAND, B.C. – April
18, 2013 – Toxco Waste Management Ltd.,
of Trail, B.C., was ordered to pay $17,500
to the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF)
in the Provincial Court of British Columbia
after pleading guilty to importing waste
lithium batteries exceeding the quantity
set out in the import permit. This action
contravened the Export and Import of Hazardous
Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material
Regulations (EIHWHRMR) of the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999).
Toxco Waste Management
Ltd. operates a hazardous waste recycling
facility in Trail, B.C., focusing on the
recycling of batteries. In January 2011,
Environment Canada was notified that Toxco
had imported hazardous waste in excess of
their permit allowance. The ensuing investigation
and revealed that the quantity of imported
waste lithium batteries was 68 percent over
the quantity allowed in the permit (16,804
kg imported on a permit allowing for 10,000
kg), and was therefore a violation of the
EIHWHRMR.
The EDF is administered
by Environment Canada to provide a mechanism
for directing funds received as a result
of fines, court orders, and voluntary payments
to priority projects that will benefit our
natural environment.
Environment Canada has
created a subscription service to help the
Canadians stay current with what the Government
of Canada is doing to protect our natural
environment. Subscribing to Environment
Canada’s Enforcement Notifications is easy,
and free. Sign up today.
