Media Release: CELA Supports Updated Air Quality Standards on Sulphur Dioxide but calls on Province to apply the law fairly

Toronto – The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) indicated its strong support for the Ontario government’s announcement today to update its sulphur dioxide standards. However, CELA called for the government to implement the new standard more quickly and to ensure that it applied province-wide in order to avoid discriminatory effects.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is considering a five-year phase in period to bring the new standard into force in Ontario. The Ministry also indicated that it is considering whether to apply the new standard on a regional basis as opposed to province-wide.

CELA has called upon the government to implement the new sulphur dioxide standard expeditiously. Exposure to elevated levels of sulphur dioxide can cause serious respiratory illnesses and result in adverse impacts on the natural environment.

CELA also strongly urged the government to ensure that the new standards were applied province-wide, instead of on a regional basis. “The failure to implement the standards consistently would create pollution havens within the province and undermine the rule of law,” stated Ramani Nadarajah, Counsel with the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

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For more information contact:
Ramani Nadarajah, Counsel
Canadian Environmental Law Association
(416) 960-2284 ext. 7217 (wk); (647) 234-4424 (cell)
ramani@cela.ca