National Pollutant Release Inventory Summary Report 1997 Canadian Environmental Protection Act National and Headquarters Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta National Pollutant Release Inventory and Northwest Territories Regional NPRI Environment Canada National Pollutant Release Inventory Offices 9th Floor, Place Vincent Massey Environment Canada 351 St. Joseph Blvd. Twin Atria #2, Room 200 Hull, QC 4999-98 Avenue K1A 0H3 Edmonton, AB Tel: (819) 953-1656 T6B 2X3 Fax: (819) 994-3266 Tel: (780) 951-8726 / 951-8730 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: (780) 495-2615 E-mail: [email protected], Newfoundland and Labrador, [email protected] Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia National Pollutant Release Inventory Environment Canada National Pollutant Release Inventory 123 Main Street, Suite 150 Environment Canada Winnipeg, MB 16th Floor, Queen Square R3C 4W2 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS Tel: (204) 983-7788 B2Y 2N6 Fax: (204) 983-0960 Tel: (902) 426-4482 National Pollutant Release Inventory Fax: (902) 426-8373 Environment Canada E-mail: [email protected] Room 300, Park Plaza 2365 Albert Street National Pollutant Release Inventory Regina, SK Environment Canada S4P 4K1 Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre 6 Bruce Street Tel: (306) 780-6001 Mt. Pearl, NF Fax: (306) 780-6466 A1N 4T3 National Pollutant Release Inventory Tel: (709) 772-5488 Environment Canada Fax: (709) 772-5097 3rd Floor, Diamond Plaza 5204 - 50th (Franklin) Avenue Quebec Yellowknife, NT National Pollutant Release Inventory X1A 2R2 Environment Canada 105 McGill Street, 4th Floor Tel: (867) 669-4727 Montreal, QC Fax: (867) 873-8185 H2Y 2E7 British Columbia and Yukon Tel: (514) 283-0193 National Pollutant Release Inventory Fax: (514) 496-6982 Environment Canada E-mail: [email protected] 224 West Esplanade North Vancouver, BC Ontario V7M 3H7 National Pollutant Release Inventory Environment Canada Tel: (604) 666-2588 4905 Dufferin Street, 2nd Floor Fax: (604) 666-6800 Downsview, ON E-mail: [email protected] M3H 5T4 National Pollutant Release Inventory Tel: (416) 739-5886 / 739-5890 Environment Canada Fax: (416) 739-4326 / 739-4251 91782 Alaska Highway E-mail: [email protected], Whitehorse, YT [email protected] Y1A 5B5 Tel: (867) 667-3402 Fax: (867) 667-7962 E-mail: [email protected] National Pollutant Release Inventory Summary Report 1997 Canadian Environmental Protection Act Acknowledgements: Prepared by: François Cadoret Terry Mah In collaboration with: NPRI National Office: François Cadoret Nicole Folliet Wilfrid Jan François Lavallée Steve McCauley Lynne Patenaude Marie-Anne Resiga Lynne Robinson-Lewis NPRI Regional Offices: Pacific and Yukon Region Michael DeAbreu Benoit Godin Prairie and Northern Region Art Beckett Nancy Taschuk Ontario Region Esther Bobet Sandro Leonardelli Elsa Lobo Terry Mah Suzanne Spicer Quebec Region Anne-Marie Carter Atlantic Region Chris Roberts National Office of Pollution Prevention: Martine Dumais © Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada Catalogue # En-40-495/1-1997E ISBN 0-662-27938-7 ISSN 1200-5657 (print) (1480-0810 - on-line edition) Message from the Minister of the Environment I am pleased to present the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) 1997 Summary Report. As a strong supporter of “right-to-know” activities, I commend all those involved in preparation of this report. It provides Canadians with information needed to foster better understanding of the nature and quantity of pollutants released to our environment. The NPRI has evolved since its inception in 1993; the report has earned Canada an international reputation for its thoroughness and openness. Over the last five years, my Department has worked cooperatively with industry, environmental organizations and interested stakeholders to improve the quality and quantity of information collected through the NPRI. As a result, overall reporting has steadily improved and compliance-promotion activities this year have led to an increase in the number of facilities reporting and an improvement in data reported. The basic 1997 data show a 12.7% increase in releases to land, air and water. To help Canadians understand this increase and the corresponding trend change, this year’s data tabulation includes analysis of matched data. This 1997 report tracks releases of the same pollutants from the same facilities over the last three years. Using this approach permits a more direct and accurate comparison with previous data. The matched data analysis actually demonstrates a 1% decrease in releases, more in keeping with trends over previous years. With the final passage of the renewed Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), Canadian communities are ensured continued access to the information they need to make informed decisions about human health and environmental matters, including clean air and clean water. As well, the NPRI will continue to play a critical role in monitoring toxic substances regulated under the new CEPA. I am proud of our efforts to improve the NPRI and will remain committed to continuing this course of review and refinement. Next year’s report will include more analysis of reuse, recycling and recovery efforts by reporting facilities across Canada. This will provide a more fulsome picture of the environmental activities of Canadian industry. We will at the same time continue to expand the list of substances upon which facilities must report, and continue our compliance- promotion activities. I welcome your comments. David Anderson Minister of the Environment Executive Summary Executive Summary The 1997 Summary Report is the fifth annual report published under Environment Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) program. The report provides information on 176 listed substances, specifically on their releases to air, water, land and underground injection and off-site transfers for disposal or recycling. The NPRI is the only legislated, nation-wide, publicly-accessible inventory of its type in Canada. One of the fundamental objectives of the NPRI is to provide Canadians with access to pollutant release information for facilities located in their communities. In addition, the NPRI supports a number of environmental initiatives by providing information that assists governments and others in identifying priorities for action, encourages industry to take voluntary measures to reduce releases, allows the tracking of progress in reducing releases, and supports a number of regulatory initiatives across Canada. Although NPRI data are useful as a starting point in identifying some of the sources of pollutants and their possible risks to human health and the Canadian environment, these data represent only a portion of all chemical releases and transfers to the Canadian environment from a range of industrial and non- industrial sources. Many other pollutants and other sources are reported to other inventories or are managed under other programs. Releases of a particular pollutant by a facility reporting to the NPRI should, therefore, be considered in the overall context of other pollutants and sources. Similarly, other factors must be also considered before drawing conclusions on the environmental significance of specific sources, sectors or pollutants – the relative size of a facility, the complexity of processes, the toxicity of the pollutant, etc. Valid assessments cannot be made from NPRI data alone. The 1997 Summary Report includes data from the NPRI for the calendar years 1995, 1996 and 1997, as they appeared in the NPRI database on March 4, 1999. Non-confidential NPRI information and data are also accessible on the Internet at Environment Canada’s NPRI Web site at <www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/>. It should be noted that the NPRI data on the Web site are updated regularly as a result of new or revised reports submitted by facilities. As a result of revisions submitted after March 4, 1999, quantities identified in this report may, at times, differ from those listed on the national database. New features of the 1997 Summary Report include: • “matched data” trend analysis between 1995 and 1997 – The matched data set allows comparisons of the same facilities reporting for the same pollutants from 1995 to 1997. The matched data set removes both additions and deletions from the database and tracks trends for a constant set of facility and pollutant reports. • reporting of qualitative pollution-prevention (P2) activities – This new, mandatory reporting requirement for the 1997 reporting year was introduced to help the federal government and others track progress in pollution prevention as well as provide companies undertaking P2 activities with an additional means of demonstrating these activities to the public. National Pollutant Release Inventory – Summary Report 1997 i Executive Summary • summaries of the possible health and environmental impacts of NPRI pollutants released or transferred in large quantities – These summaries of pollutants are included to provide Canadians with additional information on the possible health and environmental effects of NPRI pollutants released or transferred off site in the largest quantities. • supplemental fact sheets – In addition to the 1997 NPRI Summary Report, Environment Canada has prepared a series of fact sheets to provide more detailed information, by province, territory or region. Highlights of the 1997 NPRI Summary Report (based on trend analysis of all data from 1995 to 1997) • A total of 1 973 Canadian facilities submitted reports to the NPRI in 1997, an increase