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News release
St. Lawrence Action Plan: Confirmation of Phase II
Quebec City, April 2, 1993 – The federal government will invest $100 million to implement Phase II of the St. Lawrence Action Plan (SLAP).
The announcement was made today by federal Environment Minister Jean Charest, who represented Benoît Bouchard, federal minister of Health and Welfare and minister responsible for Regional Development in Quebec, and John C. Crosbie, federal minister of Fisherires and Oceans.
Minister Charest also announced that the federal government will immediately begin talks with the Quebec government aimed at renewing an agreement within the coming months to co-ordinate activities respecting the St. Lawrence. In the meantime, the St. Lawrence ActionTeam and the other working teams will continue their excellent work.
"It is important that we stay the course", Minister Charest said. "Phase I of the St. Lawrence Action Plan produced remarkable results and we will do whatever is necessary to continue to do so".
Minister Crosbie affirmed: "We must continue to ensure the conservation of marine mammals and other species in the St. Lawrence, notably by acquiring new knowledge and by restoring habitats. "
The federal government has set the objective of adopting, in partnership with the Quebec government, a policy of sustainable development for the St. Lawrence River. Efforts aimed at the virtual elimination of toxic substances from the river will be pursued during Phase II, and a new program will be implemented to analyze the impacts of pollution on human health. Pollution prevention at the source will also be one of the priorities of Phase II.
In keeping with commitments made in Canada’s Green Plan and at the Earth Summit in Rio respecting biodiversity, Phase II of SLAP will contain a component aimed at the conservation of several thousand hectares of wildlife habitat, including marine habitats, and the protection of identified threatened species. To do so, the government will seek the active participation of the public and environmental groups, particularly in areas of prime concern along the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers.
During Phase II, the federal government plans to pursue the remediation of federal sites in Quebec and to produce state of the environment reports on the St. Lawrence River that will assist in decision-making.
The Minister recalled the key achievements of Phase I of SLAP, the first joint program aimed at the conservation and protection of the St. Lawrence River. Achievements include a 74 per cent reduction in discharges of liquid toxic effluents into the river by 50 of the most serious industrial polluters; the conservation of 5,000 hectares of wildlife habitat along the St. Lawrence River; and the implementation of recovery plans for six threatened species, including the beluga.
"Phase II will make it possible to develop a new state-of-the-art environmental industry in Quebec and the rest of Canada", said Minister Charest. "A study by the firm Cogésult indicates that Phase I, which ran from 1988 to 1993, created and maintained some 2,200 jobs per year and generated an estimated $1.4 billion in economic spin-offs."
Federal Transport Minister Jean Corbeil, who was present at the news conference, welcomed the announcement and stated, "I am convinced that the economic spin-offs and the environmental benefits of Phase II will be as great as those of Phase I." Minister Corbeil added that Transport Canada would participate in this federal—provincial initiative.
Mr. Charest added that ongoing initiatives by other federal departments, including the Federal Office of Regional Development (Quebec), Agriculture Canada, Health and Welfare Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, would also contribute to the objectives of Phase II. These initiatives represent a total commitment of close to $30 million.
Minister Charest recalled also that the key to the success of Phase I of the SLAP has been the constructive partnership between the two governments, the private sector, universities, conservation and protection groups and the public. He stressed that the same approach would be adopted in Phase II.
Further information:
Julie Hauser
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Environment Canada
(819) 997-1441
Thérèse Drapeau
Environment Canada
(514) 283-2343
Également offert en français
Date modified: 1993/04/02 – Important Notices
