Mr. Speaker, this is an important issue for the health of Canadians. The protocol we signed last June will be ratified by Canada before the end of this year.
While 16 countries need to ratify the heavy metals protocol before the obligations come into effect, this government is not standing idly by waiting for the support of other nations.
While Canada can or has met most of its obligations, one of the most significant gains from the United Nations heavy metals protocol is that we have commitments from UN ECE countries to reduce their emissions of mercury and other atmospheric pollutants which we know are transported by air currents from various countries to Canada's Arctic and eastern regions.
Canada has already developed extremely effective programs and initiatives that have greatly reduced the atmospheric loading of mercury in Canada.
The controls on mercury emissions imposed under CEPA and the Fisheries Act have convinced the mercury cell chlor-alkali industry in Canada to alter its technology to a non-mercury based process.
While there were 16 such facilities in Canada, only 1 remains and it consistently meets the strict emission control requirements of both acts.
In concert with Environment Canada's accelerated reduction on elimination of toxics program, the mining sector has shown considerable progress in reducing mercury emissions. New technologies developed by Canadian companies have reduced 18 tonnes of mercury emissions to the atmosphere.
Environment Canada officials have calculate that our most recent data show our emissions have been reduced by 64% and similar reductions are reportable for lead and cadmium.
Canada will not rest there. Our goal is to report further substantial national reductions by the year 2000.
As a fully participating member of the North American agreement on environmental co-operation, Canada is leading the development of a North American regional action plan for mercury, scheduled for submission to ministers by June 1999. Canadian, American and Mexican citizens will have an opportunity to provide input to this important initiative before the plan is adopted by the three countries.
Other mercury reduction programs important to Canada include the New England governors-eastern Canadian premiers mercury reduction plan and the ongoing work to further develop a mercury reduction program under the Great Lakes binational toxics—