The Ontario government will impose strict emissions limits on the electricity sector and require Ontario Power Generation's Lakeview Generating Station in Mississauga to cease burning coal. The announcement came as a part of the Ontario Ministry of Environment's long-awaited guidelines on thermal generating station emissions standards.
"The government is keeping its promise to ensure the environmental integrity of the future electricity market in Ontario," Ontario Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer said. "Our review of coal-fired plants is now complete, and while this framework of actions comes with a price, the benefits will be priceless -- cleaner air and healthier communities across Ontario," she added.
The proposed caps would drastically reduce current limits on six fossil-fuel plants currently owned by Ontario Power Generation; the limits on smog-causing nitrogen oxides would be reduced by 53 per cent, while the cap on acid rain-causing sulphur dioxide would be cut by 25 per cent. The government also proposed that the Lakeview Generating Station cease burning coal by April, 2005. These measures would ensure the government keeps its promise to match or exceed the tough smog requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Following a consultation period, through the Environmental Bill of Rights registry, the government would be in a position to lift the moratorium on the sale of coal-fired electricity plants imposed in 2000 and begin implementation of the air quality actions.
"It's important to understand that the electricity sector is just one piece of our overall air quality strategy," Witmer said. "With these measures in place, the government will now take aim at other sources of air pollution, such as further reductions from transportation and other industry sectors. Ontario is determined to continue setting the pace as a North American leader in air quality."
The government has also released a discussion paper on a proposed emission reduction trading program. Once in place, this system would provide industry with incentives to reduce emissions above and beyond regulated requirements.
Improving Ontario's Air Quality
According to Ontario's Air Quality Index, the people of Ontario enjoy "good" to "very good" air quality more than 90 per cent of the time. Air pollution, however, continues to be a considerable challenge.
Significant air quality challenges are posed by emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and mercury. While causing smog, acid rain, toxic deposition and contributing to the threat of climate change, these key pollutants also affect human health. Air pollution affects Ontario over the short term -- during air pollution episodes -- and the long term, when air pollutants fall to the ground and accumulate in our lakes, soils, plants and wildlife.
Greenhouse gases are responsible for climate change, potentially leading to higher average global temperatures and the accompanying extreme weather events, climate zone shifts, agricultural damage, etc. Ontario's millions of vehicles contributed 27.9 per cent to Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions, while Ontario Power Generation's fossil fuel power plants were responsible for 13.9 per cent.
Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are the very engines that drive Ontario's economy and way of life. Ontario's transportation sector (on-road: cars, trucks, buses; off-road: construction equipment), for example, is responsible for approximately 60 per cent of smog-causing NOx emissions made in Ontario.
Officially introducing emissions reduction trading will make Ontario one of North America's leaders in the field of market-based environmental protection. In the years ahead, Ontario intends to share this expertise with the world.
Transboundary and Domestic Air Pollution
Ontario is part of a regional airshed that stretches from the U.S. midwest into Quebec and the northeastern U.S.
Domestic contributions to air pollution are far outweighed by pollutants entering Ontario from U.S. sources. Prevailing wind patterns make U.S. pollution sources the largest contributors to air pollution in Ontario. This is especially true for smog -- on average more than 50 per cent of Ontario's smog is due to pollution from south of the border. The province's successful court interventions supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's smog requirement will see significant benefits for our air quality at home.
To combat air pollution, the Ontario government is employing an air quality strategy that is integrated, comprehensive and balanced. Ontario's strategy targets a variety of sectors simultaneously - including transportation, industry, power and residential - while continually growing in scope to ensure broader contributions across the province. All individuals and sectors must continue to do their fair share toward eliminating or reducing the emissions that lead to air pollution.
Environmental Protection Framework for Ontario's Electricity Sector
In placing a moratorium on the sale of all coal-fired electricity plants last May, the government undertook a review to ensure effective environmental protection measures are in place prior to the start of a competitive electricity market. The review, now complete, yielded a proposed framework of air quality actions that will put the government in a position to lift the moratorium.
Tough Emissions Limits Mean Cleaner Air
The government is proposing tough new emission limits (caps) on air pollutants from the electricity sector that cause smog and acid rain. The proposed caps would be ratcheted down over time and be expanded to cover other major industrial emitters in the future.
1. In January, 2000, the government proposed net limits for 2001 that would cap net NOx emissions at 36 kilotonnes and net SO2 emissions at 157.5 kilotonnes.
2. When the limit is fully implemented in 2007, net NOx emissions would be capped at 18 kilotonnes and net SO2 emissions at 131 kilotonnes.
3. These proposed caps would reduce current limits on Ontario Power Generation's six coal and/or oil-fired plants as follows:
a) smog-causing NOx by 53 per cent; and
b) acid rain-causing SO2 by 25 per cent.
Lakeview Generating Station to Cease Burning Coal
The high demand for electricity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has meant the Lakeview Generating Station is needed for system reliability and "peak period" power demand. Active since 1962, Lakeview is the oldest station in Ontario Power Generation's fossil fleet, with emissions rates for NOx, SO2, CO2 and mercury above average for coal-fired stations in Ontario.
Located in Mississauga, on the shore of Lake Ontario, the plant's four smokestacks make it a very visible part of the GTA western waterfront. A comparison using recent GTA inventories for NOx and SO2 emissions indicates that Lakeview accounts for 26 per cent of the region's SO2 emissions and 8 per cent of NOx emissions. As well, the plant is currently the second-largest mercury emitter in the GTA.
Because of Lakeview's age and unique location in a heavily-populated urban area, the government is proposing the Lakeview Generating Station cease burning coal by April 30, 2005. In the interim, the Ontario government is also proposing a strict 3.9-kilotonne NOx cap to help protect the GTA's air quality.
This interim cap is significantly lower than the plant's NOx emissions in 2000. Once implemented, this proposed regulation would remove thousands of tonnes of smog and acid-rain-causing pollutants from our air, while also drastically reducing emissions of mercury and the greenhouse gas CO2. ET