Canada Funds Clean Air Package

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Canadian Environment Minister David Anderson announced a C$120.2 million (US$79 million) clean air package on February 20. “Our goal is simple,” he says. “To meet or exceed the standards that the U.S. Government is bringing in – standards that are recognized as amongst the toughest in the world. The package is part of a C$1.1 billion (US$715 million) fund the government set up last year to pay for air quality and climate change measures. The money will be used to reduce industrial emissions (C$20 million, US$13 million), upgrade air quality monitoring stations (C$30 million, US$19.5 million), and expand the National Pollutant Release Inventory – a database of pollutants and polluters – from the present 2,100 companies to 7000 companies in 2005 (C$23 million, US$15 million). But the emphasis is on reducing the impact of transportation (C$50 million, US$32.5 million). Canada will expand emissions testing programs, cut the sulphur content of fuel starting in 2005, and cars and trucks will be required to meet tougher emissions standards. The standards will also apply to snow blowers, portable generators, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed trimmers and chain saws. Transportation is the biggest source of air pollution in Canada. In 1998, nearly 18 million […]

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