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:^^^^/£ Ministry of Environment and Energy Ontario successfully implements clean water regulations TheOntariogovernmentpromisedtoug^new • oilandgreasebysevenpercent; regulationstoprotectOntario'srivers,lakesand • ammoruaby11percent; streamsfromindustrialeffluentNowwiththepro- • sulphideby12p>ercent; mulgationoftheelectricpowergenerationandiron • phenolicsby24percent; andsteeldeanwaterregulations,allnineindustriiil • totalphosphorusby64percent. sectorshavelimitsplacedonthecontaminantsthe Further,allsevenrefineriesaremeetingthe companiesdischargedirectlyintothewaterways. regvilationlimitsnow,eventhougj^theydonot Andthegovernmenthaskeptitspromise. havetocomplyuntilJan.1,19%. Ontario'scleanwaterregulationsareissued InSeptember1993,thepetroleumrefirungsector undertheMunicipalIndustrialStrategyforAbate- regulationwasthefirstcleanwaterregulationto ment(MISA)programandcoverrur\esectorsofthe becomelaw. economy: Thenextdeanwaterregulationtogooutthe • petroleum; doorwasforthepulpandpapersector.Althoughli^e • pulpandpaf>er; companiesweregivenuntilJan.1,19%tocomply, • metalmining; ei^tmillsoutofthe26pulpandpapermillsinthe • metalcasting; provincenowmeettheirlimitsundercleanwater • industrialminerals; andfederalregulations. • organicchemicals; Further,manyrrullsaremakingmoreeffident • inorganicchemicals; useofthetreeswhicharecut.Thesenullsareusing • ironandsteel; morerecydedfibreandmoreresidue,suchaswood • electricpowergenerating. chips,fromotherwoodprocessingoperationsas Thedeanwaterregulationsarebeingphasedin theirfeedstocks.Infact,twomillsrunonwood overthenextseveralyears.Buttheyarestartingto residuealone. produceresultsnow. Thedeanwaterregulationforthissectorbecame Thepetroleumsector,forexample,hasreduced lawinNovember1993. itscontaminantloadingsforalmostallthepollutants Asthegovernment'sgoalistoeliminatead- by40to60percentover1989levels-theyear sorbableorganichalides(AOX)frompulpandpaper companiesstartedmonitoringtheireffluaitimder effluentby2002,thepulpandpapernullswhichuse theMISAprogram.Thepredictedreductior\safter compoundscontainingchlorineforbleachingpulp theregulationcameintoeffectwere: mustreducetheirAOXdischargesto: • totalsuspendedsolidsby39percent; • \5kilograms(kg)pertonneofpulponDec.31, • volatilesuspendedsolidsby31percent; 1995; • dissolvedorganiccarbonby15percent; • 0.8kgpertonneofpulpbyDec.31,1999. ® Ontario Further,eachofthekraftmillsmustpreparea MISAANDTHECLEANWATERREGULATIONS seriesofAOXeliminationreportswhichoutlinethe mill'splantomeetthegovernment'sgOcd. TheMISAprogramwasintroducedin1986to Also,byDec.31,1995,allmillsmustreduce: identifyandreducethepollutantsdischargedfrom • BODS(biochemicaloxygendemand)and industrialandmunicipalsourcesintothe toluenedischargesby85percentfromtheir1990 waterways.Thegoalisthevirtualelimirwtion levels;(BOD5measurestheamountofoxygen ofpersistenttoxicsubstancesfromeffluentwhich neededbymicro-organismstobreakdovsm aredischargedintoOntario'slakes,riversand orgcuucwasteoverfivedays); streams.Alsotheeffluentmustnotkillfishor • phenoldischargesby88percentfromtheir1990 waterfleas. levels; Thefirstphaseoftheprogramwastomonitor • chloroformdischargesby%percentfromtheir theeffluentfrom300industrieswhichdischarged 1990levels. theireffluentdirectlyintorivers,lakesandstreams. Thecleanwaterregulationsfortheremaining Thatwascompletedin1991. sevensectorswerepromulgatedinmid-to-late1994 MISA'ssecondphasebeganin1993whenthe andearly1995.Theseregulationsarebeingphased MinistryofEnvirorunentandEnergyreleasedthe intogivetiiecompaniesachancetoaltertheir cleanwaterregulationsforthepetroleumandpulp processesandproductiontechnologiestohelpdean andpaperindustries.Theregulationsforindustrial upOntario'swaterways. minerals,metalcasting,organicchemicalsandinor- • Themetalminingsectorwillreduceits ganicchemicalsandmetalmiiungwereissuedin dischargesofcopper,nickel,zinc,cyanideand 1994. arsenicby40percentbyAug.26,1997. Withthepromulgationoftheregulationsfor • Theindustrialnuneralssectorwillreduce ironandsteelmanufacturingandelectricpower suspendedsolidstoamonthlyaverageof25 generatingsectorstheMISAindustrialprogram milligramsperlitrebyAug26,1997. hasbeencompleted. • Themetalcastingsectorwillmeetitslimitsby ThecleanwaterregulationsconfirmOntario's Aug.26,1997. commitmenttotheCanada-U.S.GreatLakesWater • Theorganicchemicalsectorwillreduceits QualityAgreement.Theyhelptomeetthegoalof dischargesoftoxicchemicalsby50percentby theRemedialActionPlansinthe17Areasof Feb.16,1998. ConcernwhichtheIntematiorulJointCommission • Theinorgaiucchemicalsectorwillreduceits pinpointedonOntario'ssideoftheGreatLakes. dischargesoftoxicchemicalsby16percaitby And,withtheprovincialconunitmentofmore Feb.16,1998. than$600milliontoimprovewaterandsewage • Theironandsteelsectorwillreduceitsarmual systems,theregulationstestifytotheprovince's dischargesofnon-conventionalandpersistent determinationtoprotectOntario'slakes,streams toxiccompoundsby81percentanditsloadings andrivers. ofconventionalcontaminantsby54percentby April13,1998.(Non-conventionalandpersistent FORFURTHER INFORMATION: toxiccomjwundsinthiscaseincludethe volatiles,benzeneandstyrene,andpolynuclear PleasecontacttheMinistryofEnvirorunent aromatichydrocarbonssuchasbenzo(a)pyrene. andEnergy'sPublicInformationCentreat Conventionalcontaminantsincludesuspended (416)323-4321.CallersoutsideTorontocan solids,oilandgrease.) reachtheCenh-etoll-freeatl-(800)565-4923. • Electricpowergeneratorswillreducetheir dischargesofpollutantsbysome770tonnesa yearbyApril13,1998. © Printedonrecycledpaper