Pollution? Don't Ask - Don't Tell

Lead, which can cause cancer and other illnesses, remains the leading developmental toxicant emitted from industrial facilities, such as smelters. Commission spokesman Evan Lloyd said the detrimental effects associated with lead exposure linger for years. "It's a persistent, bio-accumulative, toxic chemical," Lloyd said in an interview. "The half-life, in terms of how long it takes for the body to excrete half of the accumulated lead, is about 25 years, so high lead concentrations can stay in the body for many years after exposure." The report, titled Taking Stock, is an annual analysis of industrial pollution in the United States and Canada produced by the CEC, an international organization created under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Lloyd said traces of lead in bones are often released into the bloodstream during periods of stress, illness or pregnancy, which is why pregnant women are particularly at risk when exposed to the metal. "There are some health experts who will tell you that there is really no safe level of lead exposure." Ontario had the largest amount of lead air releases, with 145,000 kilograms, or 15 per cent of the total, followed by Quebec and Manitoba. Art Chamberlain, spokesman for the Ontario Environment Ministry, said officials are reviewing lead emissions in the province, but that the report's conclusions aren't that surprising. "Partly it's a reflection of the Ontario economy," he said. "We have a large industrial sector and also a large mining and smelting sector and some of the emissions are a consequence of those types of activities." The overall decline in lead pollution is mainly attributed to the phasing out of the compound in gasoline, paint and other consumer products during the 1980s, he added. Lead, which is the top chemical linked to cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm, accounts for 24 per cent of the 77 developmental toxicants listed in the report. Chamberlain said the Ontario government's plans to cut down on toxic releases-including the goal of shutting down the five coal-powered plants in Ontario by 2007 - is expected to reduce lead and mercury emissions even further. He said there has already been a decrease of almost 30 per cent in lead emissions at Inco's operations in Sudbury, Ont., since 2002, the most recent year measured in the study. The main industrial sources of lead are metals facilities such as smelters, which make up for 66 per cent of industrial lead air emissions. The study compared reports submitted by more than 24,000 facilities to the governments of Canada and the United States. - Canadian Press --- What happens when environmentalists put all their eggs into the one global warming basket? Maybe you get global warning crusaders flying alone across country in their private jets to give speeches on energy conservation. Maybe you get actors and rock singers flying to Parliament Hill to smooze with those MPs who would rather fight this fight than deal with scores of hazardous particulates that kill us a little bit every day. Maybe the money we need to fix this is what we owe to the European Union for selling us the Kyoto credits which allow us to pollute in the first place. Now scientific data has clearly pointed an accusing finger at us. We are major polluters. We are poisoning ourselves, our children, and our environment. And today’s environmental advocates will maintain their code of silence over this report like the ones before it, like the ones that will follow it. It’s kind of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to pollution control. [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on May 25, 2005]

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