MEDIA RELEASE
July 16, 2002
IJC Releases Report Card on
Transboundary Air QualityThe Chairs of the Canadian and United States Sections of the International Joint Commission, the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray and Hon. Dennis Schornack, today released, on behalf of the Commission, a 2002 Report Card on transboundary air quality prepared by the Commission's International Air Quality Advisory Board. This Report Card is a follow up to the board's 1998 Special Report on Transboundary Air Quality Issues between the United States and Canada, and describes actions taken with respect to each recommendation in the 1998 report.
The International Joint Commission has a responsibility to bring air quality issues along the border to the attention of governments. The 1998 Special Report on Transboundary Air Quality Issues highlighted the major transboundary air quality issues facing our two nations and made recommendations for needed actions. The 2002 Report Card is a companion piece to this report and provides an update on what has been accomplished in the past four years. Although actions have been taken on several of the issues, much remains to be done.
The International Joint Commission encourages the governments to fully utilize the potential of their 1991 Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement as a framework for cross-border cooperation on air quality issues, to enhance cooperation, and to develop a more integrated approach to addressing transboundary air quality issues. In encouraging the governments, the 2002 Report Card maintains a focus on specific transboundary air quality issues.
The 2002 Report Card and the 1998 Special Report are available on the IJC’s web site at: www.ijc.org
Click here for Report Card
Contacts: Ted Bailey
IJC Ottawa
(613)995-0194Soo Han
IJC Washington
(202) 736-9023
