Pollution in Canada

Air, water and soil pollution as well as the associated health effects are prominent points of contention in modern Canadian society.

Air pollution in Canada is contributed by industrial and vehicular emissions, agriculture, construction, wood burning, and energy production.

Data of 2019 shows that Canada is expected to meet or exceed its emission reduction commitments for 2020, as per the amended Gothenburg Protocol.

[3][4] Tar sands facilities were found to be among the top four highest polluters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)- a major air contaminant.

The agreement was expanded in 2000 to also include goals of reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and levels of ground-level ozone.

[12] In 2006 the government of Ontario announced that "5,000 premature deaths caused by smog in the province every year can be attributed to air pollution that crosses the Canada-U.S.

"[13] Additionally, the then (2006) mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelley, also proclaimed "over 50 per cent of air pollutants over New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are from the U.S. For us, we're trying to deal with what's coming our way, but also what we generate here as well.

In 2006 the petition was filed by thirteen Canadian municipalities to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calling for a reduction in coal-fired plants.

Environment Minister Jim Prentice stated in early 2010 that the new goal for greenhouse gas emissions would be 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, the equivalent of a 3% increase from 1990.

As previously stated, Alberta's oil sands are set to cause growing levels of acid rain consequentially leading to an increase in water contamination in the area.

[16] A recent study at the University of Alberta found levels of metals like arsenic, lead and mercury to be considerably higher than national guidelines in water downstream from Albertan oil sites.

[17] The study further discerned that their findings were "contrary to claims made by industry and government" who purported that "pollutants are from natural sources and not from the expanding production of oil from tar sands.

"[17] Other than contributing to acid rain and high levels of metals in water, sites of oil production can also cause significant damage by human error and runoff.

Due to human error, energy magnate Suncor spilled 9.8 million liters of oil sands waste water into the river causing adverse effects for people and wildlife in the area.

[19] Pollution of the Great Lakes, the world's biggest bodies of fresh water,[20] continue to be a significant problem for both Canada and the United States.

[23] The report warns that "[oil] refineries will be using the Great Lakes 'as a cheap supply' source for their copious water needs and the area’s air 'as a pollution dump'.

[12] In September 2012, the United States and Canada signed an amended version of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

[24] Significant amendments made to the Agreement include "address[ing] aquatic invasive species, habitat degradation and the effects of climate change, and support continued work on existing threats to people's health and the environment in the Great Lakes Basin such as harmful algae, toxic chemicals, and discharges from other vessels".

[24] However, some people contend that the changes made to the Agreement while good in principle, lack the "hard number goals, and actions to reach them.

[29] Advocacy group Ecojustice estimates overall raw sewage dumping in Canada to be around 200 billion litres a year.

A further example can be witnessed in Calgary, where a neighbourhood built on an old Imperial Oil refinery needed their soil replaced due to contamination.

A study found that "the weeds stored PCBs in their shoots and could be harvested for disposal cutting the need to expensively remove and incinerate contaminated soil".

[42] The Canadian federal government formed a current institution that protects marine areas; this includes the mitigation of plastic pollution.

The Oceans Act underlying principle is sustainable development, precautionary and integrated management approach to ensure that there is a comprehensive understanding in protecting marine areas.

[43] All five guiding principles are used collectively and simultaneously to collaborate and respect legislative mandates of individual departments, to use scientific knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to manage human activities, to monitor and report on programs to meet conservation objectives of MPAs, to use best available information in the absence of scientific certainty, and to maintain a balance between conservation needs and sustainable development objectives.

[43] In 2021, the government of Canada officially added plastic manufactured items to a list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

[46] As Environment Canada mentions "impacts from exposure can range from "minor breathing problems to premature death".

The study estimated the economic impact of air pollution to be at $8 billion, including lost productivity, health care costs, deaths and a decrease in quality of life.