CANADA UNITED STATES
AIR QUALITY AGREEMENT

1998 PROGRESS REPORT

SECTION V

CONCLUSION

Considerable success is being achieved in Canada and the United States in reducing emissions of SO₂ and NO_x. Both pollutants contribute to acid rain, which was the initial focus of efforts under the Air Quality Agreement.

Over the past two years, the Federal governments' close cooperation with State and Provincial governments and other stakeholders has demonstrated that, in addition to the importance of continuing joint work on common concerns to reduce acid deposition, the two countries have substantial common interests in focusing on the problems of ground-level ozone and particulate matter, particularly due to their impacts on human health.

The April 1997 signing of the Agreement to develop a Joint Plan of Action for Addressing Transboundary Air Pollution by U.S. EPA Administrator Browner and the former Canadian Minister of the Environment inaugurated a new era of binational cooperation on transboundary air issues. EPA Administrator Browner and Environment Minister Stewart endorsed, in June 1998, a timetable and strategy for addressing ground-level ozone and particulate matter. The stage has now been set for increased cooperation on these two additional pollutants of concern.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Acidifying Emissions Task Group. 1997. Towards a National Acid Rain Strategy. Environment Canada (Transboundary Air Issues Branch).

Chevone, B. I. and S. N. Linzone. 1988. Tree Decline in North America. Environmental Pollution 50: 87-99.

Devlin, R. B., L. J. Folinsbee, F. H. Biscardi, G. Hatch, S. Becker, M. Madden, M. K. Robbins, and H. S. Koren. 1997. Inflammation and cell damage induced by repeated exposure of humans to ozone. Inhalation Toxicology 9: 211-235.

Environment Canada. 1997. 1997 Canadian Acid Rain Science Assessment. 5 vols.

Environment Canada. 1998. 1997 Annual Report on the Federal-Provincial Agreements for the Eastern Canada Acid Rain Program.

Federal-Provincial Working Group on Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines. Science Assessment Document for Ozone. Expected publication in late 1998.

Federal-Provincial Working Group on Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines. Science Assessment Document for Particulate Matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5). Expected publication in late 1998.

Government of Canada. 1997. Phase II Federal Smog Management Plan.

Greater Vancouver Regional District. 1994. GVRD Air Quality Management Plan: Overview.

Holland, D., P. Principe, and J. Sickles II. 1998. Trends in Atmospheric Sulfur and Nitrogen Species in the Eastern United States for 1989-1995. Atmospheric Environment. In Press.

Lynch, J. A., V. C. Bowersox, and J. W. Grimm. 1996. Trends in Precipitation Chemistry in the United States: An Analysis of the Effects in 1995 of Phase I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Title IV. U.S. Geological Survey. Open-file Report 96-0346.

McDonnell, W. F., P. W. Stewart, S. Andreoni, E. Seal, H. R. Kehrl, D. H. Hortsman, L. J. Folinsbee, and M. V. Smith. 1997. Prediction of ozone-induced FEV 1 changes: effects of concentration, duration and ventilation. Amer. Jour. Respir. Crit. Care Med 156: 715-722.

Multi-stakeholder NO_x/VOC Science Program. 1997. Summary for Policy Makers: A synthesis of the key results of the NO_x/VOC Science Program. Environment Canada (Atmospheric Environment Service).

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, (Standards Development Branch). 1997. Ontario's Smog Management Plan.

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Ozone Transport Assessment Group. (Internet site: http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/resources.html).

Pope III, A. C., D. W. Dockery, J. D. Spengler, and M. E. Raizenne. 1991. Respiratory Health and PM₁₀ Pollution: A Daily Time Series Analysis. American Review of Respiratory Disease 144: 668-674.

Raizenne, M., L. Neas, A. Damokosh, D. Dockery, J. Spengler, P. Koutrakis, J. Ware, and F. Speizer. 1996. Health Effects of Acid Aerosols on North American Children: Pulmonary Function. Environmental Health Perspectives 104(5): 506-510.

Stoddard, J. L., C. Driscoll, J. Kahl, and J. Kellogg. 1998. A Regional Analysis of Lake Acidification Trends for the Northeastern United States, 1982-1994. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 51: 399-413.

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APPENDIX

UNITED STATES-CANADA AIR QUALITY COMMITTEE

CANADA

Co-Chair:

François Guimont
Assistant Deputy Minister
Environmental Protection Service
Environment Canada

Members:

David Egar
Air Pollution Prevention Directorate
Environmental Protection Service
Environment Canada

Gordon McBean
Atmospheric Environment Service
Environment Canada

Frank Ruddock
U.S. Transboundary Relations
Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Walter Chan
Air Policy and Climate Change Branch
Ontario Ministry of Environment

Jim Knight
Environmental Quality Branch
New Brunswick Environment

Randy Angle
Air Issues & Monitoring
Alberta Environmental Protection

Conrad Anctil
Expertise scientifique
Environnement Québec

Jean Cooper
Energy Policy Branch
Natural Resources Canada

UNITED STATES

Co-Chair:

Rafe Pomerance
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for the Environment and Development
Department of State

Members:

Abraham Haspel
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Economics and Environmental Policy
Department of Energy

E. Anthony Wayne
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for European and Canadian Affairs
Department of State

Bruce Hicks
Director
Air Resources Laboratory
NOAA

David Kee
Air and Radiation
EPA Region 5

Molly Ross
Office of Assistant Secretary
for Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Department of Interior

John Seitz
Director
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
EPA

Paul Stolpman
Director
Office of Atmospheric Programs
EPA

Subcommittee on Program
Monitoring and Reporting

Co-Chairs:

D. Wayne Draper
Associate Director
Transboundary Air Issues Branch
Environmental Protection Service
Environment Canada

Brian McLean
Director, Acid Rain Division
Office of Atmospheric Programs
Environmental Protection Agency

Subcommittee on
Scientific Cooperation