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Canadian Industry Required to Provide More Information on Pollutants

OTTAWA -- April 29, 1999 -- Citizens in Canada will now have more information on the pollutants being released into their communities. Environment Minister Christine S. Stewart today announced that more information on pollution released into the environment will be made available to Canadians. Starting this year companies will be required to report to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) on 73 more pollutants, including 20 toxic substances.

The National Pollutant Release Inventory is at the heart of the Government of Canada’s efforts to track toxic substances. It is the only nation-wide, publicly accessible program of its type in Canada, providing information on pollution being released to air, water, land and on substances being transferred for disposal, treatment and recycling.

The addition of these substances represents the first major revision to the NPRI list since the creation of the program in 1992. The number of substances in the report will increase from 173 to 246, a 41 per cent expansion of the NPRI. This action on pollutants further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to protecting the environment by making industry accountable for the pollutants it releases.

"Today’s announcement demonstrates once again that protecting the environment from the effects of harmful substances remains a priority for the Government of Canada," said Minister Stewart. "Canadians have a right to know what pollutants are being released in their communities. Under the NPRI, Canadians can find out about toxins and pollutants in their neighborhood by typing in their postal code or area code on our Green Lane Web Site. I want to connect Canadians to this information".

Included in the 73 substances, industry must report to the NPRI on the release of 20 additional substances declared toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). This brings the total number of CEPA toxic substances on the NPRI from 16 to 36.

Substances deemed toxic are either regulated, or subject to voluntary controls. The Government also closely monitors the releases and reports on them through the NPRI. In addition, reductions will continue with the implementation of new prevention and control measures recently announced by the Minister for steel, metal finishing and base metal smelting sectors. Furthermore, the renewal of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which is about to enter the final phase of parliamentary approvals, will further speed up actions on CEPA toxic substances.

"The information provided through the NPRI will complement my work under the new CEPA where I have commited to quicker action on toxic substances," added Minister Stewart.

Next year, the NPRI will expand again to include more reporting at lower thresholds of persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic substances of concern such as dioxins and furans as well as other micro-pollutants. Recommendations for additions were developed by a multi-stakeholder group made up of representatives from industry, environmental and labour organizations, provincial governments and other federal departments.

The NPRI is available as a searchable electronic database on Environment Canada’s Green Lane at http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/ The NPRI is particularly useful as an information tool for groups and organizations interested in establishing Millennium Eco-Communities across Canada.

Further information on the Millennium Eco-Communities initiative can be found at http://www.ec.gc.ca/eco/.

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