Toronto Globe and Mail
February 9, 2006
POLLUTION IN GREAT LAKES RISING DESPITE CLEANUP EFFORT, STUDY SAYS
[Rachel's introduction: Despite decades of effort cleaning up the Great Lakes, industrial discharges of water pollutants into the lakes are rising in both Canada and the United States, according to a new report{1} from Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.]
Industrial releases of toxic materials took off from 1998 to 2002,
data show
By Martin Mittelstaedt
TORONTO -- Despite decades of effort cleaning up the Great Lakes, industrial discharges of water pollutants into the lakes are rising in both Canada and the United States, according to a new report{2}.
The upswing has been pronounced, with the amount of dangerous pollutants soaring 21 per cent between 1998 and 2002. Discharges rose 23 per cent at U.S. companies and 13 per cent at Canadian ones, said the report by Environmental Defence{3} and the Canadian Environmental Law Association{4}. In 1998, more than 4,000 tonnes were discharged, while in 2002, slightly over 5,000 tonnes entered the lakes.
The largest releases were of corrosive nitric acid and nitrates, compounds that trigger algae and seaweed growth. But the discharges also included ethylene glycol, a poisonous solvent, and metals, including nickel, chromium and manganese.
The finding is unexpected because companies have spent billions of dollars trying to clean up the environment, and water quality in the lakes has improved dramatically since the late 1960s and early 1970s.
But environmentalists say the new figures suggest that complacency about the health of the lakes, the largest body of fresh water in the world and the source of drinking water for about 24 million people, is misplaced.
"We have not solved the water-pollution problem," said Paul Muldoon of the Canadian Environmental Law Association{5}.
The reasons are not clear. The report, which is being made public today, suggested its figures underestimated the amount of pollution entering the lakes because not all companies must divulge their releases. Because Canada and the United States have different disclosure laws, the figures did not include emissions from municipal sewage plants, another large source of contaminants.
Mr. Muldoon said a likely factor behind the increase is that industries released more pollutants as their output grew.
He said that if rising economic output is behind the increase, companies should have to invest some of their extra revenue in pollution controls.
The largest water polluter on the lakes in 2002 was a U.S. Steel Corp. plant in Gary, Ind., that discharges effluent into Lake Michigan. The largest Canadian polluter was an Imperial Oil refinery in Sarnia that discharges into the St. Clair River.
The groups say their report is the first comprehensive look at industrial pollution trends in the Great Lakes region in about a decade. Environment Canada undertook a similar study based on data from the early 1990s.
Governments stopped extensive monitoring of pollutant releases because the Great Lakes were believed to be returning to good health. But if discharges are rising again, the lack of scrutiny is misplaced, according to one of those who worked on the report.
The failure of governments to compile this data is "a real indictment of the lack of attention being paid to Great Lakes issues," said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence{6}.
He said governments should track the pollution trends and not leave this work to non-profit agencies with limited budgets. The Joyce Foundation financed the report.
Environment Canada officials did not return calls.
The pollution trends were based on publicly available data on discharges of harmful substances that companies must file with the U.S. and Canadian governments.
The largest air polluter on the lakes was Ontario Power Generation's Nanticoke coal-fired power station on Lake Erie.
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Sidebar: Troubling tally
A new report finds that the amount of dangerous pollutants being discharged into the Great Lakes basin is on the rise, soaring 21 per cent between 1998 and 2002. Discharges rose 23 per cent at U.S. companies and 13 per cent at Canadian ones.
Lake Superior basin
Canadian facilities: 3,351
United States facilities: 791
Lake Huron basin
Canadian facilities: 5,778
United States facilities: 2,732
Lake Ontario basin
Canadian facilities: 13,708
United States facilities: 7,363
Lake Michigan basin
Canadian facilities: 0
United States facilities: 19,012
Lake Erie basin:
Canadian facilities: 20,388
United States facilities: 26,344
The 15 facilities with the largest releases of water pollutants into the Great Lakes basin, 2002 in descending order
1.U.S. Steel Corp., Gary, Ind.
2.Anheuser-Busch Inc., Baldwinsville, N.Y.
3.Imperial Oil, Sarnia, Ont.
4.Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y.
5.Parmalat Canada, Winchester, Ont.
6. Fort James Operating Co., Green Bay, Wis.
7.Jungbunzlauer Canada Inc., Port Colborne, Ont.
8.Domtar Inc., Espanola, Ont.
9.Abitibi-Consolidated Co. of Canada, Thorold, Ont.
10.Escanaba Paper Co., Escanaba, Mich.
11.Great Lakes Cheese of N.Y. Inc., Adams, N.Y.
12.Stelco Inc., Hamilton, Ont.
13.Dunkirk Steam Station, Dunkirk, N.Y.
14.Huntley Generating Station, Tonawanda, N.Y.
15.Cytec Canada Inc., Niagara Falls, Ont.
Source: www.pollutionwatch.org{7}
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{1} http://www.pollutionwatch.org/pub/partners.jsp
{2} http://www.pollutionwatch.org/pub/partners.jsp
{3} http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/pressroom/releases/2006/20060209.htm
{4} http://www.cela.ca/
{5} http://www.cela.ca/
{6} http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/
{7} http://www.pollutionwatch.org/