CALGARY, Alta. -- February
1, 2010 -- Canada's Environment Minister,
the Honourable Jim Prentice, announced on
Saturday, January 30, 2010, the submission
of Canada’s 2020 emissions reduction target
under the Copenhagen Accord. Canada’s target,
a 17 per cent reduction from 2005 levels,
is completely aligned with the U.S. target,
and is subject to adjustment to remain consistent.
Canada’s target is contingent on all major
emitters associating with the Accord.
“This Government will
act on the Copenhagen Accord because it
is consistent with Canada’s stated position
on climate change and because it moves us
closer to our ultimate goal of becoming
a clean energy superpower,” said Minister
Prentice in a speech today in Calgary. “We
took our first step down that road on Sunday,
January 31, 2010.”
The Government of Canada
has consistently emphasized the importance
of harmonizing our approach to climate change
with that of the United States as a means
of maximizing progress on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions while maintaining economic
competitiveness and prosperity
We have already taken
important steps to achieve this goal, including
through the Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue
and implementing harmonizing passenger vehicle
emission standards.
Fully aligning our 2020
emission reduction target is another important
step.
“It is absolutely counter-productive
and utterly pointless for Canada and Canadian
businesses to strike out on their own, to
set and to pursue targets that will ultimately
create barriers to trade and put us at a
competitive disadvantage,” said Minister
Prentice.
The Government of Canada
is committed to undertaking the aggressive
action required to achieve this target.
Canada will continue
to work constructively to implement the
Copenhagen Accord and to support the negotiations
under the UNFCCC of a comprehensive, legally
binding climate change agreement.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government of Canada
Releases Draft Screening Assessments for
Batch 8 Substances News Release
2010-17
January 30, 2010
For immediate release
OTTAWA - The Honourable
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and the
Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment,
today released the draft screening assessment
reports and risk management scopes for 14
substances assessed in Batch 8 of the Chemicals
Management Plan.
"The Government
has now completed draft assessments for
eight of 12 batches originally identified
under the Challenge component of the Chemicals
Management Plan," said Minister Aglukkaq.
"We are moving quickly to protect Canadians
from substances that were identified as
our highest concern for health, and we continue
to meet all of the commitments we made to
Canadians when we launched the Chemicals
Management Plan in 2006."
"Canada continues
to be a world leader in understanding and
managing a wide range of chemical substances
that are of concern in the environment.
We are making real progress in the assessment
of high-priority substances," said
Environment Minister Jim Prentice.
Of the 14 substances
assessed in this batch, two may pose a risk
to human health (2-nitropropane, 2-nitrotoluene)
under the Canadian Environmental Protection
Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) and two may pose a
risk to the environment (MAPBAP acetate,
DTBSBP). Although the exposure of the general
population to 2-nitropropane and 2-nitrotoluene
is low, the Government is proposing action
so that exposure remains low.
2-nitropropane may be
used in vegetable oil processing, and as
a solvent in food packaging. However, it
is likely no longer used in North America
for these applications. It may also be used
internationally as a solvent in vinyl inks,
adhesives, varnishes, and in paint and varnish
removers. It may also be used as a chemical
intermediate which is then used in the production
of pharmaceuticals and dyes and may be present
in tobacco smoke. 2-nitrotoluene is primarily
used in the manufacture of explosives.
Of the two substances
that may pose a risk to the environment,
MAPBAP acetate is used as a dye in paper
while DTBSBP is mainly used as a component
of some brake fluids and in the manufacture
of plastics and polyurethane foams. Though
human exposure to these substances is expected
to be low, they have the potential to remain
in the environment for a long time and DTBSBP
may also accumulate in organisms and cause
them harm. If the proposed conclusions are
confirmed, the Government of Canada will
consider options to reduce or eliminate
releases to the environment from these substances.
The Government is proposing
that the remaining 10 substances do not
pose a risk to human health or the environment
under CEPA, 1999. Four substances (1,3,5-Tribromobenzene;
Tetrachloroveratrole; FAZ; and [3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]methyl]-,
monoethyl ester, calcium salt (2:1)) that
are no longer used in Canada may have hazardous
properties if re-introduced into the country,
so the Government is proposing to add Significant
New Activity (SNAc) provisions under CEPA,
1999 so that they cannot be imported, manufactured
or used for any new purpose without undergoing
a thorough health and environmental assessment.
Notices containing summaries
of the draft screening assessment reports
will be published in Canada Gazette, Part
I on January 30, 2010. The complete draft
screening assessments as well as risk management
scope documents for all Batch 8 substances
can be found on the Chemicals Management
Plan website. Interested parties can submit
comments on these documents until March
31, 2010.
