Montreal, 11/11/1997 – Air pollution from automobiles, trucks, power plants, and industry contributes to the
movement of ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, in both directions across the
border between eastern Canada and the United States. This is one finding in a report being
released today entitled, "Long-Range Transport of Ground-Level Ozone and its
Precursors: Assessment of Methods to Quantify Transboundary Transport within the
Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada." The report is being released by the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), an organization established by Canada,
Mexico, and the United States in 1994 under the environmental side agreement to the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The report suggests a number of steps that governments can take to address the
transboundary smog problem. "Local measures can do little to solve the problem,"
said Mr. Paul Bégin, the Quebec Minister of the Environment and Wildlife. "The
situation requires coordinated management from all provinces and states that are affected
by the emission and transport of these pollutants."
"Air pollution doesn't stop at the US-Canadian border," said Mr. Robert
W. Varney, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
"Smog is blown across the border in both directions and pollution from both sides
contributes to this problem. The states, provinces, and federal governments need to
develop a coordinated, cost-effective solution as soon as possible."
Results contained in the report assess the scientific methods being used to quantify
transboundary transport between the northeastern US and eastern Canada. The report finds
that both Canada and the United States have established a sound foundation upon which to
measure airborne levels of smog and to model how and where it travels. At the same time,
the report concludes that a continuing scientific effort is needed to allow for more
effective bilateral resolution of the transport problem.
Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ned Sullivan stated,
"The United States and Canada have built a foundation of communication on
transboundary air pollution, including ozone, sulfur and mercury. Now it's time to
build action plans on both sides of the border."
The report adds to the available weight of evidence showing that transboundary
transport of ground-level ozone and its precursors (volatile organic compounds –
VOCs, and oxides of nitrogen – NOX) exists in North America, particularly
where the typical weather patterns flow from upwind regions with high levels of precursor
emissions into downwind regions experiencing high levels of ozone. The optimal conditions
for this type of scenario are found in at least two transboundary transport pathways
within eastern North America:
- Pollutants flow from the upper midwestern United States and the Ohio River Valley across
southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and into the northeastern United States.
- Pollutants travel up the "Northeast Corridor" of the United States and flow
into the Atlantic provinces of Canada.
Broadening this analysis, the report also notes that when locally generated pollution
is factored in with long-range transport, ground-level ozone can be a regional problem
over spatial scales of more than 600 kilometers and time scales of several days.
Based on a comprehensive overview of scientific efforts to date in both Canada and the
United States, the report recommends future cooperative activities to address smog
transported over the Canada–US border. Major recommendations are to:
1. Expand existing transport models to include the Canada–US border as well as
regions on each side of the border.
2. Reverse the current trend of closing monitoring stations within both countries.
Monitoring stations are critical for tracking the benefits of emissions reduction programs
and compliance with air quality goals.
3. Increase comparability of air quality data evaluating transboundary transport and
create a database to store all ambient monitoring data for the study area.
4. Develop additional analyses to track winds and emissions in the Windsor-Quebec City
Corridor and the Southern Atlantic Region of Canada along with the US northeast, northwest
and midwest regions.
Today's report highlights the need for a long-term, regional-scale air management
approach to reduce or eliminate transboundary transport of ground-level ozone. "Air
pollution does not respect any boundaries, so we need to work together to develop regional
solutions for controlling air emissions and minimizing their transport," said New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner John P. Cahill. "New
York State is committed to an ambitious plan to reduce emissions dramatically over the
next five years while encouraging others to do the same."
Ontario Environment Minister Norm Sterling stated, "For us in Ontario, the CEC
report confirms what we've been saying for a long time: transboundary pollution
affects the air and health of our communities. During a recent tour of 11 American states,
I stressed the need for Canada and the US to work together to reduce the transboundary
flow of air pollutants. For example, in Ontario, we have introduced our Drive Clean
program aimed at reducing smog-causing emissions from cars, trucks and buses."]
Today's report is consistent with the recent recommendations by 37 US states to
address the transport of regional smog in the eastern United States. When it concluded in
June 1997, the Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG) recommended regional control
measures to reduce transported pollution. The OTAG recommendations were acted on by the US
Environmental Protection Agency on 10 October 1997 when it announced the first step in a
regional strategy to meet smog standards in the eastern United States.
"This backs up the findings of the Ozone Transport Assessment Group's report
released in June. We know that air pollution knows no political boundaries, and that the
Midwestern states need to be more efficient in reducing the amount of pollution floating
to the eastern states and Canadian provinces," said Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection Commissioner David Struhs. "We will continue to work
regionally with Canada and the eastern states on solutions."
"Long-Range Transport of Ground-Level Ozone and its Precursors: Assessment of
Methods to Quantify Transboundary Transport within the Northeastern United States and
Eastern Canada" is the result of a binational collaborative project between the
Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and the Eastern Canada
Transboundary Smog Issue Group (ECTSIG) in conjunction with the Commission for
Environmental Cooperation. NESCAUM provides technical and policy advice to its eight
member states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island, and Vermont. ECTSIG is a partnership among Environment Canada and the
provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
THE INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SMOG
- What is the report "Long-Range Transport of Ground-Level Ozone and its
Precursors" about?
The report is an overview of the state of scientific knowledge on how
and where ground-level ozone (a major component of "smog") moves across the
border between eastern Canada and the United States. It uses a "weight of
evidence" approach that synthesizes information from a variety of pollution
measurement and modeling efforts. The report was produced by the Secretariat of the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) with the Northeast States for Coordinated
Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and the Eastern Canada Transboundary Smog Issue Group
(ECTSIG).
- What does the report find?
Smog is an international problem traveling in both directions between
Canada and the US. While it is well known that smog travels locally from Detroit, Michigan
across the river to Windsor, Ontario, it is less well known that smog can travel from
Toronto, Ontario across Lake Ontario into New York and other northeast states, and
southern Quebec. Smog can travel distances on the order of 800 kilometers (~500 miles) or
more. At least two important "pollution rivers" across the border have been
identified:
- one flowing from the upper midwest US and the Ohio River
Valley across southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and into the northeastern US.
- one carrying pollutants up the "Northeast Corridor" of the US
and into the Atlantic provinces of Canada.
Pollution from specific regions in North America can influence smog
(ozone) levels far downwind. For example, modeling studies summarized in the CEC report
predict that pollution emitted in the upper Great Plains of the US (parts of Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota) can contribute up to 30
percent to the number of hours ozone is above 100 parts per billion (ppb) in the Detroit,
Michigan/Windsor, Ontario border region as well as the Toronto/southern Ontario area.
Pollution from parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia are shown to
contribute over 40 percent to the number of hours ozone is above 100 ppb in these same
areas. Other areas of eastern North America contribute as well to transboundary smog
transport. The current ground-level ozone objective in Canada is 82 ppb averaged over one
hour while the recently revised standard in the US is 80 ppb averaged over eight hours.
The results are consistent with recommendations by the Ozone Transport Assessment Group
(OTAG), a 37 state collaborative effort in the US to address regional smog issues. In June
1997, OTAG recommended regional reductions in ozone forming pollution from large power
plants of up to 85 percent from 1990 levels.
- Why is the movement of smog important to know?
Smog (ozone) is a serious public health concern, and ozone standards are
currently being exceeded in a large number of areas in eastern North America. Because smog
respects no borders, fragmented local efforts on either side of the border will not be
enough by themselves to address the full scope of the problem. In order to reduce exposure
to unhealthful smog levels in Canada and the US, joint international efforts are needed.
- What are the health impacts of smog (ozone)?
Smog (ozone) exposure can lead to a variety of well documented health
effects. It can increase the severity and incidences of asthma attacks and respiratory
infections. It also can lead to an increased prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms
and the development of chronic respiratory problems. Children are at greatest risk from
smog because their lungs are still developing, they breathe more air relative to their
lung size than adults, and they spend a greater portion of their time exercising outdoors
during the daytime when ozone levels are highest. An estimated five to 20 percent of the
general population is thought to be particularly sensitive to ozone.
Health impacts have been observed in areas where international smog transport plays a
significant role. A study of southern Ontario hospital admissions estimated that an
increase in ozone levels of 50 ppb led to a five percent increase in daily
respiratory admissions during the summer months. Children were disproportionately affected
as their respiratory hospital admission rate increased by over eight percent. As mentioned
above, southern Ontario receives a significant portion of smog from areas outside its
borders.
- Where does smog come from?
Two types of pollution lead to formation of ground-level ozone (smog) in
the air. These are oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The
primary source of NOx pollution during the summer months (the key ozone forming season in
eastern North America) is the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal or oil in power plants
and industrial boilers, and gasoline or diesel in automobiles, trucks and off-road
vehicles. Major sources of VOCs are gasoline vapors and natural emissions from trees and
other vegetation. While VOCs affect how efficiently ozone is formed in the air,
human-related NOx emissions are the necessary ingredient to start ozone formation and play
the principle role in the long distance transport of ozone downwind.
- What are the implications of changes in the electric utility industry on international
smog transport?
The electric utility industries in Canada and the US are beginning to
undergo changes that will open the industries to more competition. In addition, nuclear
power plants have been closed in southern Ontario and the northeastern United States.
These changes may lead to increases in pollution within the transport pathways identified
in the CEC report. This could further exacerbate the international transport of smog
unless appropriate public health and environmental safeguards are put in place.
- What are some of the other impacts of smog?
Prolonged exposure to high ozone levels is known to damage trees,
particularly in forests at higher elevations in eastern North America. NOx pollution
contributes to acid rain (reduces the ability of lakes and streams to support aquatic life
and depletes nutrients from forest soils which can reduce the growth rate of trees), fine
particles (impair a person's ability to breathe), and nitrogen deposition in bays
(causes algal blooms that can suffocate aquatic life). VOCs such as benzene are known
carcinogens and can have toxicity effects.
- Is smog the only pollutant traveling across international borders?
No. While the CEC report focuses on ozone, other pollutants such as acid
rain, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and fine particles can also travel long
distances from their points of origin. Because chemistry and weather can influence
different pollutants in different ways, the directions and extent of movement of other
pollutants can differ from smog transport.
- What can be done about the smog traveling between Canada and the US?
The CEC report makes several recommendations to begin addressing the
long-range transport of smog in eastern North America. These include:
1. Development of regional pollution reduction strategies for "areas of
influence" rather than for isolated areas. Areas of influence are defined as common
source regions which affect large, downwind geographical areas rather than isolated
locations.
2. Canadian and US data on pollution concentrations and emissions should be collected
in common databases for more efficient sharing of information across the border.
3. Canada and the US need to renew their commitments to the continued maintenance and
expansion, where necessary, of existing smog monitoring programs that are currently being
undermined by fiscal cutbacks.
- How does this report relate to the CEC's work on air pollution?
The CEC has an ongoing work program to facilitate increased cooperation
to address long-range transport of air pollution. In August 1996 the Council of the CEC
announced that pilot projects aimed at improving air quality monitoring and modeling would
be developed in order to lay the groundwork for joint action on reducing air pollution.
This project is a collaborative effort with NESCAUM and ECTSIG to analyze transboundary
air pollution. This analysis will establish the scientific basis for regional solutions to
reduce air emissions and transport. The next phase of this project will develop a workplan
for longer term joint efforts to reduce transboundary air pollution.
- What is the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was created by
Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 1994 to address transboundary environmental
concerns across North America under the environmental side agreement (North American
Agreement on Environmental Cooperation) to the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). The CEC facilitates cooperation and public participation to foster conservation,
protection, and enhancement of the North American environment for present and future
generations, in the context of increasing economic, trade, and social links between the
NAFTA partners.
- What is the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management?
The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
facilitates the exchange of technical information and promotes cooperation among its eight
member states in regard to air pollution issues of regional concern. The eight member
states are Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode
Island, and Vermont.
- What is the Eastern Canada Transboundary Smog Issue Group?
The Eastern Canada Transboundary Smog Issue Group (ECTSIG) is a
partnership formed to help in developing the CEC report. The partnership is comprised of
Environment Canada and the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.
OZONE (SMOG) AIR POLLUTION
Ground-level ozone is a powerful respiratory irritant and a pervasive health problem
throughout much of eastern North America. An invisible gas, ozone is produced when
sunlight "cooks" hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted from combustion.
High ground-level ozone concentrations have been linked to increased hospital
admissions and emergency room visits for asthma and other breathing problems. A recent
study by the Harvard School of Public Health for the American Lung Association noted that
ozone caused up to 50,000 emergency room visits in 13 cities over an ozone season
(April-October). A study in southern Ontario showed that a 5 percent increase in
respiratory hospital admissions was associated with a 50 part per billion (ppb)
increase in ozone concentration (Burnett, et al., 1994, Environ. Res., 65: 172-194). This
effect was disproportionately more severe in children, whose admission rate increase
exceeded 8 percent.
Ground-level ozone exposure also can lead to shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing
and coughing. Toxicology studies have shown that long-term exposure to ozone may lead to
large reductions in lung function and premature aging of the lungs.
Children with asthma are particularly at risk. So are those already afflicted with lung
disease such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. But ozone also can affect
healthy adults who exercise outdoors.
Ozone is such a serious health threat that the US Environmental Protection Agency
recently updated and strengthened the national health standard for the pollutant. Areas in
the United States will monitor pollution levels for several years to determine if they can
meet the new standard. Canada is in the process of revising its Air Quality Objective for
ozone, and expects to make recommendations in late 1998.
Coal-fired power plants are one of the biggest sources of the pollutants that form
ground-level ozone in eastern North America. Aircraft measurements and other studies have
shown that ozone can travel hundreds of miles—and harm the health of people far from
the source of the pollution. On days when the northeastern United States and eastern
Canada experience their most severe smog episodes, the winds typically blow from the west
and southwest, carrying high levels of pollutants emitted upwind. |