Clean, safe air is essential in protecting the health of our people and our communities. As part of its commitment to clean up Ontario’s air, the McGuinty government has posted two new regulations that require industry to reduce their emissions of harmful air pollutants. Both of these regulations achieve commitments made in the government’s Five-Point Action Plan for Cleaner Air, announced on June 21, 2004.

Regulation 194/05 Industry Emissions – Nitrogen Oxides and Sulphur Dioxide addresses points one and two of the five-point action plan:

  1. Applying tough nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) limits — two of the most significant smog-causing pollutants — to more industrial sectors than ever before.
  2. Making the NOx and SO2 limits even stricter in future years.

Regulation 419/05 Air Pollution – Local Air Quality with better provincial standards for harmful air pollutants addresses points three to five of the plan:

  1. Setting new air standards, in some cases for the first time, for many harmful pollutants, including carcinogens and toxins that could pose a threat to human health.
  2. Achieving a better picture of industrial emissions through updated technology.
  3. Introducing a faster, risk-based approach to implementing new air standards.