" Canada lags behind U.S. in curbing toxic emissions, says NAFTA report "

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@AECL.CA>]

Power plants top Canada-US air polluters - watchdog

Reuters News English

1 June 2004 

Robert Melnbardis



MONTREAL, June 2 (Reuters) - Coal and oil-fired power plants are the top air

polluters in the United States and Canada according to most recent data, the

Commission for Environmental Cooperation said on Wednesday.



In its 8th annual survey, the Montreal-based agency, created 10 years ago

under the North American Free Trade Agreement, said power plants accounted

for almost half of all industrial air emissions in 2001.



In addition, 46 of the top 50 polluters were coal and oil-fired power

plants. The survey did not include gas or hydro-electric power plants.



"A big part of it is simply the appetite for energy, but a big part of it is

just fuel," William Kennedy, executive director of the commission, told

Reuters.

"We need to do a better job of working with industry, government and the

public for cleaner fuels, better conservation, more renewable energy than

what we have now."



The survey of chemical pollution from industrial facilities shows that power

plants burning coal and oil produced 45 percent of the 755,502 tonnes of

toxic air releases in 2001. Hydrochloric and sulfuric acids were the most

common chemicals released as coal and oil was burned to make electricity.



Power plants, mainly those using coal, were also responsible for 64 percent

of all mercury air emissions. Mercury occurs naturally in coal and is

released when the fossil fuel is burned to produce electricity.



Mercury can build up in a highly toxic form as it moves up the food chain.

Those exposed, especially children, can suffer neurological and

developmental damage.



Total releases of mercury fell 48 percent in 2001 from 2000.



"Even though you might be reducing it, it's still building up in lakes and

streams and coming into the food chain," Kennedy said.



In the United States, three coal-fired power plants reported the largest

toxic air releases.

They were: 

Progress Energy's (PGN.N) CP&L Roxboro in Semora, North Carolina; 

Reliant Energy's (RRI.N) ' Keystone in Shelocta, Pennsylvania; 

and Georgia Power's Bowen in Cartersville, Georgia, the commission said.



In Canada, Ontario Power Generation's Nanticoke Generating Station was

responsible for the 10 percent increase in air emission of all toxics in the

country from 1998 to 2001, the commission said.



Nanticoke followed TransAlta Corp.'s (TA.TO) Sundance Thermal Generating

plant in Alberta in largest on-site air releases of mercury, the agency

said.



Overall, Texas was the top polluter in 2001, followed by Ohio, Michigan and

Ontario, the commission said. Together, the four reported 28 percent of

total releases and transfers of toxic chemicals for the year.

============================



Canada lags behind U.S. in curbing toxic emissions, says NAFTA report

CP Wire, Wed 02 Jun 2004

DENNIS BUECKERT



OTTAWA (CP) _ Canadian industrial plants released 2.7 million kilograms of

chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm in

2001, says a new report by the NAFTA environmental agency. 



The annual Taking Stock report, drawn from submissions by more than 20,000

polluters in the United States and Canada, shows that Canada is lagging the

United States in curbing toxic pollution. 



Although total North American emissions declined by 18 per cent from 1998 to

2001, Canadian emissions rose three per cent. 



As in previous years, Ontario was the third-biggest polluting jurisdiction

on the continent after North Carolina and Ohio, says the report by the

Commission for Environmental Co-operation. 



The electricity sector was the biggest source of toxic pollution in North

America, mainly from the use of coal at generating plants. The sector

accounted for 45 per cent of total emissions, including 43,384 kg of

mercury, which can affect fetal and childhood development. 



Canada's poorer record in curbing toxics is probably due to the lack of

federal air-quality legislation, William Kennedy, executive director of the

commission, said in an interview. 



The U.S. Clean Air Act sets binding regulations for air polluters, but

Ottawa depends mainly on voluntary and negotiated agreements. 



Kennedy said the future of North American air quality is clouded by the

increasing use of coal, which is dirtier than oil or natural gas. 

``The indications are that coal-fired capacity is expected to account for 40

per cent of all new additions in the United States. 

``In Canada there have been five new coal-fired plants announced for

operation in 2006, all of these in Alberta. If we're looking for good news

in trends, this is not particularly comforting.'' 



Although there has been a lot of talk about clean coal technology, Kennedy

says there's no such thing. 

``It sounds good but I think coal by its nature is not a clean fuel

source.'' 



Mark Winfield of the Pembina Institute said the data in the report are not

reassuring, even though total North American emissions to air, water and

soil have decreased over the past decade because of cuts on the U.S. side. 



``Even with the decline, the amounts being released are still remarkably

large given that these are substances known to cause human health effects.''





The list of chemicals known to cause ``cancer, birth defects or other

reproductive harm''is drawn from the State of California, which has the most

rigorous system for assessing toxic chemicals. 



The commission was set up under the North American Free Trade Agreement to

soothe fears that free trade would lead to a decline in environmental

standards.