What we've proposed is to grant the minister the authority to designate significant areas that are uniquely exposed to pollution or unique in generating pollution.
We think the Great Lakes Basin would be a primary candidate to be designated as such, because of its importance as the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, but also in terms of how much pollution is generated in that area and how vulnerable the population is in the basin.
At the same time, we feel there is a need for legislative intervention in Canada to match or try to catch up with the U.S. legislative commitments that have been made to clean up the basin. Canada is far behind in terms of those commitments.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement needs an implementing mechanism federally. We think CEPA is an appropriate vehicle for all of those things, particularly given Canada's record, in terms of how far behind we are not just in legislative commitments but actually, on the ground.
If you look at our facilities versus the U.S. facilities, we contribute toxic air pollution 93% more in our facilities than they do in theirs. In terms of pollution reduction, on the U.S. side they've reduced pollution in the Great Lakes by 45%. We've reduced by 2%. It's negligible.
Overall, that's what we're pushing for, to have CEPA recognized first of all as the implementing mechanism for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, but also as a significant area that needs special attention legislatively.