Feds fail in Canada's Drinking Water Report Card
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:09 pmSierra Legal MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release: October 6, 2006
Feds fail in Canada's Drinking Water Report Card
Ontario gets highest grade for drinking water safety, federal government gets an 'F'
VANCOUVER, BC - Sierra Legal released Waterproof 2: Canada's Drinking Water Report Card today, its second report on the state of drinking water in Canada. The investigative report is the highly anticipated follow-up to Sierra Legal's original Waterproof report which came out in 2001, shortly after the drinking water tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario. The first Report Card analysed drinking water policies in each province and territory and exposed gaping holes in the patchwork of laws across the country. Today's report highlights improvements to drinking water laws and policies in most jurisdictions and once again slams the federal government for its woeful performance.
"The federal government's lack of leadership in providing clean and safe drinking water to all Canadians is truly shameful," said Sierra Legal Staff Lawyer Randy Christensen, author of the report. "Access to safe, clean water is a growing concern for all Canadians, yet the feds appear to be more intent on managing public perceptions than ensuring safe drinking water. How many more tragedies do Canadians have to endure before the federal government takes proper action within its power to protect our drinking water?"
Waterproof 2 shows that most jurisdictions in Canada have learned from the tragic drinking water crises that brought the names of communities such as Walkerton, North Battleford, and Kashechewan into the national media spotlight. Since Sierra Legal's first report, Ontario has implemented many of the recommendations from the exhaustive inquiry into the Walkerton tragedy, and finds itself at the top of the class with an A-. All other jurisdictions - except New Brunswick - made modest improvements in protecting their drinking water and saw their grades improve. The federal government received the only failing grade in the report, getting an 'F' for failing to enact binding national standards for drinking water, failure to ensure safe drinking water for First Nations or properly regulate bottled water, and continuing to permit the use of toxic chemicals - banned in the US and Europe - which are entering Canadian drinking water.
"Most Canadians would be alarmed to hear that Health Canada estimates that unsafe drinking water causes 90 deaths and 90,000 illnesses each year in Canada," continued Christensen. "The alarm bells have clearly been sounded and the findings of the Walkerton Inquiry have given us a comprehensive roadmap to ensuring safe drinking water. Regardless of whether you are in New Brunswick, Ontario or Nunavut, you should be able to trust that the water from the tap is safe. It is imperative that the federal government pass binding national standards for drinking water safety throughout the country."
Waterproof 2 compares the jurisdictions on their treatment requirements, drinking water quality standards, testing requirements, regulation of water system design and construction, accredited lab and operator certification, and transparency and accountability, but does not include source protection (which will be the subject of an upcoming Sierra Legal report). Waterproof 2 also provides solutions and recommendations to improve drinking water systems.
"Sierra Legal hopes this new report card will inspire provincial and territorial governments to improve their water treatment systems," said Christensen. "We are also determined to motivate the Government of Canada to step up and take action to make sure every Canadian is guaranteed the right to safe and healthy drinking water."
The complete report card including rankings of the federal, provincial and territorial governments can be viewed and downloaded from Sierra Legal's website at www.sierralegal.org.
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For further information, please contact:
Randy Christensen, Staff Lawyer, Sierra Legal, phone: (604) 685-5618 ext. 234, cell: (604) 313-3132
Sierra Legal - Advocates for the Environment - www.sierralegal.org
For Immediate Release: October 6, 2006
Feds fail in Canada's Drinking Water Report Card
Ontario gets highest grade for drinking water safety, federal government gets an 'F'
VANCOUVER, BC - Sierra Legal released Waterproof 2: Canada's Drinking Water Report Card today, its second report on the state of drinking water in Canada. The investigative report is the highly anticipated follow-up to Sierra Legal's original Waterproof report which came out in 2001, shortly after the drinking water tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario. The first Report Card analysed drinking water policies in each province and territory and exposed gaping holes in the patchwork of laws across the country. Today's report highlights improvements to drinking water laws and policies in most jurisdictions and once again slams the federal government for its woeful performance.
"The federal government's lack of leadership in providing clean and safe drinking water to all Canadians is truly shameful," said Sierra Legal Staff Lawyer Randy Christensen, author of the report. "Access to safe, clean water is a growing concern for all Canadians, yet the feds appear to be more intent on managing public perceptions than ensuring safe drinking water. How many more tragedies do Canadians have to endure before the federal government takes proper action within its power to protect our drinking water?"
Waterproof 2 shows that most jurisdictions in Canada have learned from the tragic drinking water crises that brought the names of communities such as Walkerton, North Battleford, and Kashechewan into the national media spotlight. Since Sierra Legal's first report, Ontario has implemented many of the recommendations from the exhaustive inquiry into the Walkerton tragedy, and finds itself at the top of the class with an A-. All other jurisdictions - except New Brunswick - made modest improvements in protecting their drinking water and saw their grades improve. The federal government received the only failing grade in the report, getting an 'F' for failing to enact binding national standards for drinking water, failure to ensure safe drinking water for First Nations or properly regulate bottled water, and continuing to permit the use of toxic chemicals - banned in the US and Europe - which are entering Canadian drinking water.
"Most Canadians would be alarmed to hear that Health Canada estimates that unsafe drinking water causes 90 deaths and 90,000 illnesses each year in Canada," continued Christensen. "The alarm bells have clearly been sounded and the findings of the Walkerton Inquiry have given us a comprehensive roadmap to ensuring safe drinking water. Regardless of whether you are in New Brunswick, Ontario or Nunavut, you should be able to trust that the water from the tap is safe. It is imperative that the federal government pass binding national standards for drinking water safety throughout the country."
Waterproof 2 compares the jurisdictions on their treatment requirements, drinking water quality standards, testing requirements, regulation of water system design and construction, accredited lab and operator certification, and transparency and accountability, but does not include source protection (which will be the subject of an upcoming Sierra Legal report). Waterproof 2 also provides solutions and recommendations to improve drinking water systems.
"Sierra Legal hopes this new report card will inspire provincial and territorial governments to improve their water treatment systems," said Christensen. "We are also determined to motivate the Government of Canada to step up and take action to make sure every Canadian is guaranteed the right to safe and healthy drinking water."
The complete report card including rankings of the federal, provincial and territorial governments can be viewed and downloaded from Sierra Legal's website at www.sierralegal.org.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Randy Christensen, Staff Lawyer, Sierra Legal, phone: (604) 685-5618 ext. 234, cell: (604) 313-3132
Sierra Legal - Advocates for the Environment - www.sierralegal.org