Clean Production and Toxics

Failing grade for Canadian government

After ten years watching the progress of the Canadian federal government, the Office of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, a part of the Auditor General’s Office, issued a report reviewing key problems and recommendations made over the past decade.

Commissioner Ron Thompson gives the federal government poor marks in many areas, several directly affecting the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

“Progress in nine areas is unsatisfactory largely because the government did not follow through on its own commitments to strengthen protection of the environment,” Thompson stated during a press conference in Ottawa.

Of the topics of most direct import to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, the Commissioner concluded that progress had been “unsatisfactory” on protection of species at risk, control of aquatic invasive species, and restoration of the most heavily polluted areas in the Great Lakes. He concluded that progress had been “satisfactory” on chemicals management.
The main recurring themes around the failure of the Federal government were: a failure to conduct adequate environmental assessments when developing policies and programs; a lack of commitment at the senior levels of government; and lack of resources dedicated to environmental protection.

Protection of Species at Risk

Progress here was determined to be unsatisfactory because of the federal government’s failure to develop a comprehensive inventory of species at risk, failure to complete recovery strategies for species at risk (only 55 of the necessary 228 plans were completed), and failure to identify critical habitat.

Control of Aquatic Invasive Species

The Commissioner found that the federal government’s progress was “unsatisfactory” on this threat, which can “fundamentally change the environment they occupy and, by extension, affect its economic value in terms of beneficial uses.” He found that the rate at which new alien species are becoming established in Canada exceeds the rate at which the Department is assessing risks, that Fisheries and Oceans Canada does not have mechanisms in place for early detection and rapid response to new invasive species, and failure to monitor and report on compliance with federal legislation on ballast water.

Areas of Concern in Great Lakes Basin

The Commissioner also found that progress was “unsatisfactory” in cleaning up these toxic hotspots. The main problems identified by the Commissioner were: failure to clarify who is responsible for carrying out and paying for each remedial action and failure to set timelines for remedial actions. He identified two high-cost types of problems as of greatest concern in the government’s failure to make progress: contaminated sediments, and overloaded municipal wastewater systems.

Chemicals Management

The Commissioner found progress on chemical management to be “satisfactory” primarily because of progress in conducting risk assessments under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Resources in Environment Canada and Health Canada were adjusted to assist in review of 4,300 substances.

© 2008 Great Lakes News.