Closed Consultation
PM and 03 Keeping Clean Areas Clean and Continuous Improvement
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and Environment
Canada invited the CEN to oversee the selection
of up to 3 ENGOs (beyond ENGO on the PM and 03 Core Advisory
Group) to attend a national consultation workshop on "Continuous
Improvement and Keeping-Clean-Areas-Clean" for the Canada-wide
Standard on Particulate Matter and Ozone. The national consultation
workshop was held on Wednesday, February 26 and Thursday, February
27, 2004 at the Crowne Plaza Georgia Hotel in Vancouver, B.C.
More information, including the PM and 03 Standards, is available
on the CEN Energy and
Atmosphere caucus webpage.
The Canada wide standard for PM
and Ozone, which was endorsed by the CCME Ministers (except
Québec) in June, 2000, recognizes that the long-term air
quality management goal for PM and ozone is to minimize the risks
of these pollutants to human health and the environment. Because
it is recognized that the current CWS levels for these two pollutants
are not fully protective of human health, the CWS includes a provision
(Annex A) regarding environmental management in areas where ambient
air quality is “better” than the levels set out in
the standards. In such areas, two philosophies are to be considered
in developing jurisdictions’ implementation activities:
1) Continuous Improvement: to the extent practicable, jurisdictions
should take remedial and preventative action to reduce emissions
from anthropogenic sources with the objective of continuously
improving air quality.
2) Keeping-Clean-Areas-Clean: jurisdictions should work with
their stakeholders and the general public to establish programs
that apply pollution prevention and best management practices
that will ensure that pollutant levels do not rise up to the CWS
levels.
To promote consistency in implementing the CI/KCAC provisions
of the CWS, the Joint Action Implementation Coordinating Committee
(JAICC) is undertaking to develop a national Guidance Document
as a reference tool for jurisdictions and the public on CI/KCAC.
A national issues paper was developed and provided a basis for
discussion and input from interested stakeholders at a multi-stakeholder,
multi-jurisdictional workshop held March 11, 2003 in Montreal.
Building on the advice from participants at the workshop, a draft
national Guidance Document is being prepared under the direction
of a multi-stakeholder working group and will serve as the basis
for discussion at the February, 2004 workshop in Vancouver.
The objective of the February, 2004 workshop will be to seek
feedback from a broader range of interested stakeholders regarding
the draft national Guidance Document and its recommendations.
Taking into consideration comments from participants at the workshop,
the multi-stakeholder working group will finalize the National
Guidance Document for submission to the JAICC for its consideration
in the spring of 2004.
Background documents:
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