For immediate release:
April 7, 2009

Environment Critic welcomes debate on toxic reduction in Ontario

Queen’s Park – “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”
That from Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett today in the Ontario legislature in noting that government toxics reduction legislation is following the lead of the PC Made-in-Ontario plan to reduce toxins, announced in 2007.

“It was April 27, 2007, that we announced our PC plan to move on toxic reduction. As such we have been somewhat bemused to see the McGuinty government follow our lead with regard to enacting a plan to reduce toxins,” Barrett said. “For example, we proposed drawing on the successful Massachusetts’ Toxics Use Reduction Act – TURA). Five months later (September 24th, 2007), the McGuinty Liberals proposed drawing on the successful Massachusetts’ Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA).”

The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) requires Massachusetts companies that use specified quantities of listed toxic chemicals to evaluate pollution prevention opportunities, implement them if practical, and measure and report their results on an annual basis. They must also evaluate their efforts and update their toxics use reduction plans every other year. 

Since the act was introduced in 1989 the program has been deemed a success:

·       50 % reduction in the generation of hazardous waste,
1       40 % reduction in the use of toxic chemicals and

MPP Barrett further noted that while the government-proposed legislation mirrors much of the direction of the Opposition announcement, there will be room for debate.

“The basic differences are as simple as they are impactful - they centre around the key element of working with the already well-established approaches to toxic management currently in place through the federal government and business best practices,” stated Barrett. “All the while providing the carrots – the incentives - along with the sticks to ensure mutually-shared toxic reduction goals.”

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