Meeting with his counterparts across the country last week, Minister of Environment and Energy Jamie Ballem agreed to work on national strategies for managing municipal wastewater effluents and waste from electronic products.
Minister Ballem attended his first meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in Victoria, British Columbia. Comprised of environment ministers from the federal, provincial and territorial governments, the council meets regularly to discuss national environmental priorities and determine work to be carried out under the auspices of CCME.
Reporting on the outcome in the Provincial Legislature today, Minister Ballem said ministers discussed several environmental issues that are priorities for Prince Edward Island including water quality, waste management and climate change.
“Issues such as these concern governments across the country. Working together to find best practices and establish national standards, we will all move forward faster,” said Minister Ballem.
Water issues have been a priority for CCME ministers the past several years. At this week’s meeting, they agreed to explore conservation measures and develop a national strategy for harmonized management of municipal wastewater effluents. Wastewater treatment ranges considerably, so effluents that are released may contain pollutants harmful to waterways and aquatic life.
Minister Ballem noted Prince Edward Island is one of few jurisdictions in Canada where all municipal wastewater is treated. The province took another significant step forward earlier this year with the announcement of infrastructure funding for significant improvements to the sewage treatment plants in Charlottetown and Summerside.
“With upgrades to these facilities, all municipal, industrial and commercial wastewater treatment in Prince Edward Island will meet the provincial standard of secondary treatment with disinfection, which removes 90 per cent of the wastewater strength before it is discharged,” said Minister Ballem. “This is clearly a priority for Prince Edward Island and we look forward to working on a national strategy.”
The importance of developing ways to adapt to climate change was another topic on the CCME agenda this week. Ministers released a report describing changes to Canada’s climate during the 20th century and identifying how those changes are affecting Canadians.
“We recognize that finding ways to adapt to climate change will help reduce negative impacts,” said Minister Ballem. “In fact, Prince Edward Island became the first province to sign a federal provincial agreement on climate change earlier this month and assessing the impacts of climate change and developing adaptation strategies were among the six priorities identified for climate change action in PEI.”
In other progress at the CCME meeting, ministers agreed to develop Canada-wide principles for dealing with waste from electronics products. A study released by Environment Canada in 2003 found that more than 140,000 tonnes of computer equipment, televisions, stereos and other electronics are sent to Canadian landfills each year. These items may contain hazardous materials such as lead and mercury.
“Prince Edward Island has been talking with a national industry group which is working on product stewardship plans, and we have invited the group to pilot its plans here in PEI,” said Minister Ballem. “So, over time, we hope to build on our reputation as a leader in waste management and further reduce the volume of materials going to landfill by removing electronics from the waste stream.”
Further information on the environment ministers’ meeting, including the full climate change report - Climate, Nature, People: Indicators of Canada’s Changing Climate - can be found on the CCME Web site at www.ccme.ca.