ES&E NEWS Canada signs treaty to reduce mercury emissions Acoustic Panels, Enclosures & Products WE WE LCOM
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The Government of Canada has signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global agreement to reduce mercury emissions and releases to the environment. The Convention is a legally-binding treaty negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). As an Arctic country, Canada is one of WKH PDLQ EHQH¿FLDULHV RI WKLV DJUHHPHQW It has reduced its own mercury emissions by over 90% in the last forty years. However, over 95% of the mercury deposited in Canada from human activity comes from foreign sources. The Convention addresses all aspects of the life cycle of mercury, including providing controls and reductions across a range of products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted. The pace of mercury reductions will depend on a number of factors, including which countries ratify the treaty, how many ratify (50 required for entry into force) and what actions the parties to the treaty decide to take.
Canada and BC renew monitoring agreement High Pressure Water Jetting Liquid/Dry Vacuum Services Dry Ice Cleaning Hydro Vac Excavating
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The governments of Canada and British Columbia have renewed their water quantity monitoring agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement for Water Quantity Surveys ensures the ongoing collection, processing, publication and distribution of water quantity data in BC. The BC network of approximately 450 water quantity monitoring stations has been co-managed by Environment Canada and BC’s Ministry of Environment since 1975. The agreement provides for shared operating costs of approximately $7 million each year. Approximately one-third is covered by Environment Canada, while BC’s Ministry of Environment covers two-thirds and recovers half this amount from third-party clients such as BC Hydro, First Nations, industry, local governments and agencies. Similar partnerships exist between the Government of Canada and all of the provinces and territories. CollectiveEnvironmental Science & Engineering Magazine
12/5/13 6:29 AM