| Montreal, 11/04/1996 – The NAFTA countries have agreed to target DDT, chlordane and mercury for regional phase-out or reduction. The two insecticides and one heavy metal were added to the short list of toxic substances following an agreement drawn-up by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) -- otherwise known as the NAFTA Environment Commission -- for Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to develop sound management programs for persistent pollutants. The three countries had already named PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) last October.
This is the first time in North American that the three countries have jointly agreed to target a list of specific pollutants for joint action. While steps have been taken in the three countries to control the use and release of these toxic substances, PCBs, DDT, chlordane and mercury continue to exist at unacceptable levels in the North American environment. Scientists say such concentrations of toxic substances can pose a serious health risk to both humans and wildlife. The targeted chemicals can all be transported over long distances in air or water and all have the capacity to "bioaccumulate" in living tissue.
PCBs, which are no longer manufactured in North America but still used in all three countries, were assigned priority status by the three countries just as issues related to their storage, cross-border shipment and eventual destruction became of particular concern.
The CEC’s work with these four substances is taking place at a time when toxic pollutants and heavy metals are being targeted for global action. Growing recognition of the health-dangers posed by toxic pollutants is resulting in greater priority being given to their reduction or elimination. Mexico, the U.S. and Canada have created a high-level working group to help the CEC implement the toxic substances agreement in the North American region.
The three countries have committed to develop joint regional action plans for PCBs, DDT, chlordane and mercury by December, 1996. Environmentalists, industrialists and other members of the public are being invited to provide input into these action plans, aimed at regional phase-out or reduction of these chemicals. A public meeting is planned for May 9 and 10 in Ottawa, Canada.
The CEC, which is equally funded by the NAFTA partners, is based in Montreal, Canada.
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