| Montreal, 18/07/2003 – A draft Phase One North American Regional Action Plan on Dioxins and Furans, and Hexachlorobenzene is now available for public comment.
The public comment period is the next-to-last step in the completion of an action plan that sets out practical measures to reduce the risks to the environment and human health in Canada, Mexico, and the United States from the release of these substances.
These three substances are a group of organic pollutants that are toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative, and which can be transported long distances through atmospheric and aquatic pathways.
The public comment period ends 16 September 2003, at 17:00 hr EST. Comments on the draft Phase One North American Regional Action Plan on Dioxins and Furans, and Hexachlorobenzene should be sent in writing or by electronic mail or fax to:
Doug Wright
Director of Programs
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
393 St-Jacques West, Suite 200, Montreal,
Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9.
Fax: (514) 350-4314
E-mail: <dwright@ccemtl.org>
Please note that the CEC posts comments received on its web site following the comment period. Therefore, comments received will be shared publicly.
The draft action plan is available in English, French and Spanish and may be downloaded from the CEC's web site at: <http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=1220>.
For hard copies, should Internet access not be possible for you, contact Erika Hercules at (514) 350-4362, fax: (514) 350-4314. Be sure to indicate the language of your choice.
For questions that you may have about this consultation, please contact Erika Hercules at the above noted telephone and fax numbers or at <ehercules@ccemtl.org>.
The CEC was established under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to address environmental issues in North America from a continental perspective, with a particular focus on those arising in the context of liberalized trade. The CEC Council, the organization's governing body, is composed of the environment ministers (or equivalent) of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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