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Ambient Air – Executive Summary

Executive Summary

This Advisory Note sets out advice from the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) in response to a request from the federal government regarding the development of long-term clean air strategies for Canada. In the fall of 2006, the federal government asked the NRTEE to provide advice on national ambient air objectives for particulate matter (PM) and ozone for both the medium (2020 - 2025) and long-term (2050). From the outset of its research, the NRTEE concluded that providing advice on specific numerical air quality objectives would require a level of expertise and time commitment beyond the scope and timeline of the government's request. The NRTEE concluded that its best value- added advice would be to focus on the purpose of the ambient air quality objectives and the process of setting them. Our research and this Advisory Note therefore focus on the process of setting national objectives, rather than specific quantitative standards or objectives. This advice is meant to inform the more significant, substantial deliberations of professionals and experts who need to be involved in determining the actual standards and objectives for Canada. More specifically, the advice is intended to assist the federal government in how best to develop national ambient air quality objectives for Canada, a goal set out in the government's Regulatory Framework for Air Emissions (April 2007).1 Based on our key findings, the NRTEE offers the following conclusions for consideration by the federal government: 1. National long-term ambient air quality objectives should be supported by medium-term standards. National ambient air quality objectives should consist of two distinct, albeit related, elements: science-based long-term objectives that establish a national and primarily qualitative goal; and medium-term standards that serve as control measures to reduce pollutants and that can be most effectively applied at the regional level to reflect regional differences in actual air quality. 2. The Government of Canada should play the lead role in developing national ambient air quality objectives for all Canadians. A coordinated national approach is needed to establish consistency across the country, thereby ensuring equity among all citizens, as well as a level playing field for all industry, regardless of location. The federal government is best positioned to play this role. Governments at all levels, led by the federal government, should begin by setting an agreed timeframe by which these objectives would be established and the standards set in place. 3. An independent science-based process should be established to develop Canada's long-term, national ambient air quality objectives. The federal government should develop the long-term, national science-based objectives through an independent process led by a panel of Canadian experts with the involvement of international expertise. The panel would be responsible for reviewing the latest available international scientific data and would involve provinces, territories, and municipalities through a consultative process. The panel would then recommend the long-term national objectives to governments. « Previous — Contents — Next »