For immediate release:
June 2, 2009

Bailey and Barrett go to bat for industry

Queen’s Park – Majority rule was the rule of the day in General Government Committee yesterday as government members voted down every motion to make their toxic reduction strategy a more effective, risk and science based policy.

Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett along with fellow Caucus member Bob Bailey moved a total of 35 amendments to Bill 167 yesterday – all met the same fate at the hands of the government members.

On behalf of the Sarnia Lambton Environmental Association (SLEA), MPP for Sarnia-Lambton Bailey moved a motion to help protect the intellectual property of competing businesses in Ontario.

“I move that section 8 of the bill be amended by adding the following subsection,” stated Bailey. “The owner and operator of a facility is only required to make available to the public the portions of a summary that relate to the risk of exposure to emissions.”

"The McGuinty Government does not understand that in order to compete, businesses need to have less red tape not more", said Bob Bailey.  "Dalton McGuinty is clearly more interested in a good headline than in a meaningful strategy that would reduce toxics and still allow businesses to grow and prosper."

After reading in the motion, Bailey went on to explain that SLEA feels that, “disclosure of information around the use of toxic substances may create unwarranted fears and unattainable expectations within the community. The SLEA supports the belief that the community has a right to know about toxic emissions and that industry has an obligation to limit these emissions based on a scientific evaluation of the risk for exposure and the potential for adverse effect on human health and the environment.”

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