GP Wins Pollution Reductions in Petro-Canada Case

["The Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

GREENPEACE WINS POLLUTION REDUCTIONS IN PETRO-CANADA CASE

TORONTO --(January 15, 1996)--- Greenpeace and a Mississauga
community group  (Resident's Against Company Pollution Inc) have
won  their legal battle to get  sulphur dioxide emissions 
reduced at Petro-Canada's Mississauga oil refinery.  Following
an order from the Environmental Appeal Board issued today, 
sulphur dioxide emissions at the refinery will fall from an
original worst case estimate of 92% of the regulatory limit to
within 11 to 19% of the province's regulated limit on sulphur
dioxide emissions.
     
Petro-Canada will also commit $250,000 towards a trust fund to
be managed by Petro-Canada and Greenpeace that will be used to
research air pollution. (1)

Although Petro-Canada has listened to Greenpeace and 
residents'  health  concerns about sulphur dioxide emissions,
the provincial government is still refusing to strengthen
provincial regulations that would govern  sulphur dioxide
throughout the province and protect all of  its  citizens. 
Sulphur dioxide  is known to aggravate asthma and is linked to 

other respiratory ailments and increased death rates. 
 
Ontario's legal  exposure limits are six to eight times higher 

than levels at which increased risk of hospitalization and
 
death have been recorded in Italy and France. (2)   
 

 
"Greenpeace is very happy that after pressing this case for  
over a year and a half  Petro-Canada has finally agreed to
 
lower its emissions." said Greenpeace Toxics campaigner Morag  
Simpson.  "The provincial government is another story.  At the 

start of this case Environment Minister  Norm Sterling was
 
interviewed  and said evaluating sulphur dioxide emissions   
was a government priority.  Our dealings with the ministry
 
since then make us believe Sterling has misled the public."  

 
Simpson noted that if Greenpeace had not pressed the Petro
 -
Canada case Mississauga and Metro Toronto citizens would be  
facing a future of even worse pollution from the Petro-Canada  
facility.
 
"When is the government going to show some environmental
 
leadership?  Is Greenpeace going to have to  challenge every  
single industry one by one, to make Ontario's air safe to
 
breathe,* asked Tom Heintzman, of the Sierra Legal Defence
 
Fund which served Greenpeace as counsel during the hearings.

Simpson also criticized the government's systematic gutting of
environmental regulations and enforcement since the Tories
took power in 1995;  yesterday 303 more employees were laid off
in the Environment Ministry, including 16 scientists
specializing in environmental standards and five working on air
quality.

" Ontario used to be seen as a world leader in innovative
environmental policy.  What we've got now is a toxic
government that's hazardous to the health of all its
citizens," said Simpson.
Editor's note:

1)  Copy of Board decision available upon request. 
2)  See studies by:  Vigotti et al: "Short term effects of
urban air pollution on respiratory health in Milan, Italy
1980-89"  and W Dab et al. : "Short Term respiratory health
effects of ambient air pollution: results of the APHEA project
in Paris."