Meanwhile, as governments keep talking, operators continue to use the controversial section to block access to information.

Gail Fraser, a biologist and professor in the [Faculty of Environmental Studies] at 91��ɫ  in Toronto, placed five access to information requests in 2007 with the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, a joint federal-provincial body that regulates oil and gas drilling and production off the Newfoundland coast. The board cited the same section of the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act to deny all five requests: Section 119(2).

But Fraser said she wasn’t asking for proprietary information, just environmental data about the frequency of oil sheens, for instance, and other pollutant information so she could compare the environmental effects predicted in the environmental assessments of oil production operations  to what’s actually happening. “The government is permitting oil and gas operators to operate in a public domain. And the waste involved in these developments is huge. And so it’s important for the public to understand what are the effects of those wastes. And so, you can’t,” she said in a phone interview with The Hill Times.

“Right now, the public is essentially in the dark as to the effects of oil development in the Grand Banks (off the Newfoundland coast).”

While there is obviously information that would make sense from a business perspective to not release publicly, said Fraser, she would like to see Section 119(2) scrapped and revised so that it is not applied to environmental and safety information. The Newfoundland and Nova Scotia boards have written to the federal and provincial ministers responsible for energy to ask them to review the section in Atlantic Accords, something Fraser welcomed.

Meanwhile, Fraser submitted another set of access to information requests to the Newfoundland board earlier this month and said she’s not hopeful she’ll get what she wants.

The complete article is available on for a fee or to existing subscribers.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The devastating effects of pollution were discussed at the Community Forum on Pollution and Action co-organized by Aamjiwnaang First Nation and 91��ɫ. , an environmental law professor at 91��ɫ[’s Osgoode Hall Law School], told the forum that local residents don't have to accept pollution and its serious health consequences as a fact of life. It's a familiar refrain for many frustrated local residents.

Scott told those in attendance that she is working closely with Aamjiwnaang to investigate the links between pollution and the health impact on residents. The province's pollution laws were discussed in detail at the forum and Scott says the law is broken.

The forum also heard from health researchers Jim Brophy and Margaret Keith who said tonnes of carcinogens are pumped into the air annually by Chemical Valley companies. Keith went so far as to say "industry is polluting and government is turning a blind eye."

It should be noted that Chemical Valley companies have come a long way in recent years to reduce emissions. But there is still an air quality problem in our community.

Residents here deserve to know what impact pollution is having on their health.

The complete article is available on .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The federal government brought in new regulations last July effectively banning phosphorus in most household cleaning products, such as dishwashing and laundry detergents. The new rules prohibit the manufacture and import of these products containing phosphorus beyond 0.5% by weight. Similar regulations in the United States banned the chemical in 17 states.

Phosphorus in certain detergents and cleaning products softens water, reduces spotting and rusting , holds dirt, and increases performance. But it is also a plant fertilizer, Prof. Molot says, meaning when it enters a lake, it causes massive amounts of algae to grow.

"When the algae die, they sink to the bottom of the lake and are consumed by bacteria. In the process, these bacteria consume all the oxygen, leading to the asphyxiation of fish," Prof. Molot said.

The chemical also causes algal blooms -- massive green blob-like growths -- which can raise pH levels in water to toxic levels and block water intake pipes. Prof. Molot says dirty dishes are a small price to pay for preventing the spread of phosphorus.

"Either the public pays huge amounts of money to remove the phosphorus at the end of the pipe, or it can choose the cheaper alternative to reduce the amount of phosphorus going into our sewers in the first place," he said. "If I have to pay a little more for a greener detergent, even if it means it doesn't clean the way it used to, I'll put up with it."

Molot has published on , most recently in February 2010. His research is funded by the (NSERC).

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has known for a long time that its air pollution regulation fails miserably when it is applied to several large, high-emitting facilities clustered together. That regulation allows the Minister to hand out Certificates of Approval (CofAs) or "pollution permits" to individual facilities without taking into account the background, or "ambient," levels of pollution already present. For pollution hotspots like Sarnia, the regime is completely inadequate to protect the health of residents downwind, and the Ministry acknowledges this.

The mantra of the environmental justice movement that “some of us live more downstream than others” is a stark and obvious truth in the Chemical Valley. This area houses one of Canada’s largest concentrations of industry, including several large petrochemical, polymer and chemical industrial plants, as well as coal-fired utilities on both sides of the border. Talfourd Creek gathers its waters in an industrial corridor home to more than 40% of Canada's chemical production before it winds its way through the Aamjiwnaang reserve and empties into the St. Clair River.

. . .

When we consider this pollution and its effects on the health of residents in the context of their status as First Nations people on the reserve, then the violation of their constitutional rights comes into sharp relief.

The First Nation is tied to the land, confined to a small portion of their traditional territory. To this legacy of colonialism, they add the legacy of a century of petrochemical production. That they should be expected to endure these threats to their well-being, perpetuated by the ministry’s failure to enact an effective, health-protective air pollution regime, is unconscionable. That they should be forced to choose between subjecting themselves and their families to these risks or leaving the reserve at great social, economic and cultural cost, demonstrates that their equality rights are clearly infringed.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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The annual prize, one of the top accolades for the advancement of space technology in Canada, was awarded Tuesday to the CanX-2 microsatellite team, headed by the University of Toronto. 91��ɫ’s instrument, a microspectrometer dubbed Argus, is currently riding aboard the microsatellite, which launched in April 2008. Argus can accurately detect sources of industrial pollution on Earth, to a resolution of one kilometre.

"We’re very excited to be part of the team receiving this award," said Argus principal investigator Brendan Quine, a professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering. "Argus was a Canadian first and we’re delighted we could make it happen at 91��ɫ."

Right: Brendan Quine with the Alouette Award

The device, which is small enough to fit in the palm of an adult’s hand, transmits data via infrared radiation emitted to space. It enables scientists to determine local levels of carbon dioxide and other climate change gases by recording infrared spectra, which contain information about atmospheric composition.

Developed in partnership with Thoth Technology Inc., it is the first space instrument to be built and tested in 91��ɫ’s space engineering laboratory, part of the University’s Centre for Research in Earth & Space Science (CRESS). Argus’ current mandate includes monitoring levels of ash from recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland.

CASI introduced the Alouette Award in 1995 to recognize an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Canadian space technology, science or engineering. It may be awarded to an individual, a group, an organization or group of organizations, as appropriate to the nature of the contribution. Preference is given to contributions that lead to new benefits for mankind.

The team's win was also covered in the North 91��ɫ Mirror May 12:

91��ɫ researchers who designed and built a miniature space-borne pollution monitor are part of a team of Canadians who were honoured with a 2010 Alouette Award from the Canadian Aeronautics & Space Institute (CASI).

The annual prize, one of the top accolades for the advancement of space technology in Canada, was awarded May 4 to the CanX-2 microsatellite team, headed by the University of Toronto.

91��ɫ’s instrument, a microspectrometer dubbed Argus, is currently riding aboard the microsatellite, which launched in April 2008. Argus can accurately detect sources of industrial pollution on Earth, to a resolution of one kilometre.

“We’re very excited to be a part of the team receiving this award,” Brendan Quine, Argus Principal investigator and professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, said in a release. “Argus is a Canadian first and we’re delighted we could make it happen at 91��ɫ.”

For more information, visit the Web site.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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