Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The two environmental issues that we cover in this report are fundamental to life: the safety of the water we drink and the quality of the air we breathe.
In the area of drinking water, federal guidelines established the maximum acceptable concentration of contaminants in tap water in order to protect human health. Developing guidelines for the safety of the water we drink is an important federal activity.
In 2005 we reported that Health Canada was slow to develop and to review its guidelines. At that time there was a backlog of about 50 that needed to be reviewed and, if necessary, to be updated to reflect current science. Since then the department has largely cleared the backlog. I am pleased that Health Canada has also set up a process to update the guidelines regularly on the basis of scientific information and to produce new ones as needed.
Health Canada has also made progress toward verifying that drinking water on airplanes is safe. However, it still needs to close some gaps before it can assure Canadians that drinking water is safe on all common carriers under federal responsibility.
I turn now to the air quality health index. The AQHI, as it is commonly known, is a snapshot of air quality at a given location. It combines three key pollutants that affect human health and need to be monitored across Canada. Like the UV index, the AQHI will help individual Canadians make informed decisions about outdoor activity.
We found that Environment Canada and Health Canada have made satisfactory progress in developing the AQHI, a commitment that was cited in their responses to petitions submitted by the public in 2002 and 2003. At the time of our audit, the Index had been piloted at several locations across Canada.
Our audit found that Health Canada and Environment Canada consulted widely with stakeholders at every stage of the initiative. In fact, the government's approach to consultation in this case is a good example for other programs.
In conclusion, the elements of success that we identified in the areas of drinking water safety and the development of an air quality health index include public consultation and a strong scientific foundation.
Mr. Chair, we'll be happy to answer your questions.