Environment and Conservation
September 16, 2009
Atlantic Environment Ministers Meet in
St. John�s for Regional Discussions
The Council of Atlantic Environment Ministers
gathered in St. John�s today to discuss regional
approaches and co-operation on a number of significant
environmental issues.
The Honourable Charlene Johnson, Newfoundland and
Labrador Minister of Environment and Conservation, was
joined by the Honourable Sterling Belliveau, Minister of
Environment, Nova Scotia; the Honourable Rick Miles,
Minister of Environment, New Brunswick; and the
Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Environment,
Energy and Forestry, Prince Edward Island.
An informative presentation on pesticides for lawn
care was presented by New Brunswick. The ministers
agreed to establish a regional committee of officials to
discuss the current practices in each of the Atlantic
provinces, with a request for officials to bring forward
opportunities for co-operation by spring 2010.
In anticipation of the upcoming climate change
meetings in Copenhagen in December, the ministers
discussed the importance of their continued efforts to
support measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)
and present a unified Atlantic perspective. Atlantic
ministers welcome the opportunity to have additional
discussions with Minister Prentice prior to the
Copenhagen meetings. They want to ensure GHG reduction
initiatives, such as clean energy and related technology
and infrastructure, will be eligible for carbon credits,
and that each province be treated equitably under the
federal GHG regulatory framework, including the proposed
Climate Change Technology Fund.
Further discussions on GHG reductions resulted in the
ministers� decision to call upon the Federal Government
to extend funding for the EcoAction Trust Fund beyond
its 2010 deadline. The EcoAction Trust Fund for Clean
Air and Climate Change was established by the Government
of Canada and provided funding over a three-year period
to support projects that provide real reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions. The ministers agreed that each
of their jurisdictions have greatly benefited from this
support and have helped implement meaningful and
sustainable measures to reduce emissions.
While the ministers agreed that waste management
initiatives are well underway in Atlantic Canada, they
recognized that other opportunities exist to further
manage and reduce waste in the region. The ministers
looked at various waste management opportunities,
including electronic waste (e-waste) and used tire
management. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick extended
invitations to their Atlantic counterparts to visit the
Nova Scotia e-waste facility and the New Brunswick tire
recycling facility and build upon their success in these
areas. They focused on Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR) as an effective measure for waste reduction in the
region, and all ministers agreed that provincial waste
management strategies must remain a high priority.
In keeping with the discussions on the adverse
effects of GHG emissions, the Atlantic environment
ministers toured the methane gas recovery unit at the
Robin Hood Bay landfill. Landfill Gas Collecting and
Flaring Systems (LGCFS) have the potential to
significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the
Robin Hood Bay site realizing reductions of
approximately 50,000 � 60,000 tonnes per year. Through
the LGCFS, methane is captured, and the potential exists
for it to be converted into electricity or fuel for
vehicles. The Newfoundland and Labrador project received
support from the EcoAction Trust Fund and reiterates the
Atlantic ministers� call upon the Federal Government to
continue funding for such sustainable initiatives.
The next meeting of the Council of Atlantic
Environment Ministers will be held in New Brunswick.
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Photo:
The Council of the Atlantic Ministers of Environment met in St. John's to
discuss a number of environmental issues for the region. Pictured left to right are:
Honourable Sterling Belliveau (PEI), Honourable Rick Miles (NB), Honourable Charlene
Johnson (NL) and Honourable Richard Brown (NS).
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