393, rue St-Jacques Ouest 

Bureau 200

Montréal (Québec)

Canada H2Y 1N9

Tel.: (514) 350-4300

Fax: (514) 350-4314

In North America, we share vital

natural resources, including air,

oceans and rivers, mountains

and forests. Together, these natural

resources are the basis of a rich

network of ecosystems that sustain our

livelihoods and well-being. If they are

to continue being a source of future

life and prosperity, these resources

must be protected. Protecting

the North American environment

is a responsibility shared by Canada,

Mexico and the United States.

The Commission for Environmental

Cooperation (CEC) is an international

organization whose members include

Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The CEC was created under the North

American Agreement on Environmental

Cooperation (NAAEC) to address regional

environmental concerns, help prevent

potential trade and environmental

conflicts and promote the effective

enforcement of environmental law.

The Agreement complements the

environmental provisions established

in the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA).

To find out more about the CEC’s activities, 

or obtain up-to-date information on the 

projects described in this Annual Report, 

including related announcements 

and publications, please visit the CEC’s 

Internet homepage or contact us 

using the addresses below.

http://www.cec.org

e-mail: info@ccemtl.org

Mission

The CEC facilitates cooperation and

public participation to foster conservation, protection and enhancement 

of the North American environment 

for the benefit of present and future

generations, in the context of increasing

economic, trade and social links among

Canada, Mexico and the United States.
2

Table of

Contents

1

Message from the Council 4

Report from the Joint 6

Public Advisory Committee

Message from the 11

Executive Director of 

the CEC Secretariat

CEC Secretariat Directory 118

Cooperative

Achievements

1999 Program Summary 14

Cooperative Achievements 16

Environment, Economy and Trade 16

Conservation of Biodiversity 17

Pollutants and Health 20

Law and Policy 23

Other Initiatives of the CEC 24

Registry of Submissions 25

on Enforcement Matters 1999

Linking North American 32

Communities
3

1999 Financial

Reports

3

1999 Audited 104

Financial Statements 

Looking Ahead

2000 Annual Program 114

and Budget Overview

2000 Project Budget Summary 115

2000 Budget – Graphic Overview 117 4

Country Reports

2

Canada 36

Mexico 60

United States 84
4 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Early in the 1990s, the international community produced Agenda 21 and the World Trade Organization,

each promising to exert major influence in shaping public policy for decades to come. Meanwhile, 

in North America, the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA) became the first international

trade pact to envision the need for an international

forum where synergies and tensions arising from the

interaction of trade and environment could be

addressed. In recognition of the binding together of

the NAFTA partners through trade, among other

forces, and in view of the transboundary nature of

regional environmental issues, the North American

Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)

was created with the task of fostering cooperative 

environmental action among the three countries.

Message

from 

the

Council

Canada

David Anderson

Minister of the Environment
Message from the Council [ Annual Report 1999 ] 5

By the end of the decade, the CEC, as a young organization with an unprecedented role, was coming into

its own as an important contributor to the advancement of the North American environmental agenda.

By working together through the organization, the

three nations continued to make progress in 1999 on

a number of issues that none could have achieved

individually. Among the highlights was the launch

by the CEC’s Sound Management of Chemicals program of a North American Regional Action Plan to

reduce releases into the environment of dioxins and

furans and hexachlorobenzene. That year the CEC

also published its Analytical Framework for Assessing

the Environmental Effects of NAFTA and announced

plans to convene a symposium exploring the linkages

between trade and environment. Also, the Secretariat

released an independent study of transboundary

migratory bird habitat on the upper reach of the San

Pedro River, which helped launch a major effort to

protect the watershed.

We are pleased to present the following annual report

elaborating on the CEC’s achievements for 1999.

Mexico

Julia Carabias

Secretary of Environment,

Natural Resources and Fisheries

United States

Carol M. Browner

Environmental Protection 

Agency Administrator
6 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Report

from the Joint Public

Advisory Committee

“We urge JPAC to continue efforts to

increase public participation wherever 

possible. There is expertise out there that

can assist the CEC in ways not yet imagined.”

(A participant at the 1999 Council Session)

The Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) had an

extremely active and productive year. Four regular sessions were held, the first in Mexico city, followed by

Anchorage, Alaska; Banff, Alberta—in conjunction

with the Regular Session of Council; and finally in

Montreal. At each meeting, a plenary session with the

public was held on the CEC’s three-year Program Plan,

enabling JPAC to better interact and work with the

public and identify substantive issues that could then

be brought forward to Council. Twelve advice to

Council were produced.

At Council’s request for a public consultation, in 

addition to its regular sessions, JPAC issued a call 

for comments and organized a public workshop on 

proposed amendments to the Guidelines for Citizen

Submissions on Enforcement Matters under Articles

14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on

Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). Also responding

to a Council request, JPAC worked with the Secretariat

to produce text for a Framework for Public Participation

in CEC Activities, which was approved by Council for

implementation.

JPAC had considerable access to Council during the

Regular Session and throughout the year with their

Alternate Representatives. The JPAC chairman for 1999

or a replacement attended all meetings of the Alternate

Representatives, enabling JPAC and the public to bring

forward views on many different matters for lively

discussion and interaction. Members of JPAC’s 

various working groups also attended, contributing

directly to key meetings dedicated to the CEC Program

Plan in such areas as sound management of chemicals, the input of indigenous peoples, transportation

corridors, enforcement cooperation, sustainable tourism

and the North American Fund for Environmental

Cooperation (NAFEC).

Our 1998 decision to develop our own work plan

around the CEC’s Program Plan was thus put into

action and produced very successful results. In accordance with the recommendations of the Independent

Review Committee and the desire of Council, JPAC

is better integrated into the day-to-day activities 

of the CEC.

JPAC has also established a more coordinated 

relationship with the National Advisory Committees 

and the US Governmental Advisory Committee. 

We attend each other’s meetings and exchange 

information. This has led to cooperation on ensuring 

that issues such as transparency and public input,

transboundary environmental impact assessments,

genetically modified organisms in agriculture, green

marketing and transportation corridors continue to

be profiled as important for the CEC to address.
Report from the Joint Public Advisory Committee [ Annual Report 1999 ] 7

Here are some highlights from our meetings in 1999:

The gathering of public comment and the workshop on proposed amendments to the Guidelines

for Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters

under Articles 14 and 15 was very successful,

eliciting substantive and detailed comments.

Representatives from each country and the

National Advisory Committees were selected to

attend from among the groups or individuals

having submitted views during the public review

period. This provided JPAC with the information it needed to develop forthright advice to

Council to maintain the integrity of the process,

including public access. This is a fine example of

what we can achieve when we work together.

In Mexico City, JPAC focused its attention on 

producing its advice to Council on proposed

amendments to Guidelines for Citizen

Submissions on Enforcement Matters under

Articles 14 and 15 and on the Environmental

Management Systems and Compliance Report.

JPAC also met with representatives of NAFEC 

to discuss the production and marketing of

green goods and services. 

In Anchorage, Alaska, we met with the representatives of First Nations and Inuit organizations

and members of the Sound Management of

Chemicals (SMOC) working group. It was a

dynamic session with many compelling and

impassioned arguments in support of involving

indigenous peoples in the SMOC program

specifically, and generally in CEC activities.

Encouraged by these results, the task force being

established to develop the North American

Regional Action Plan (NARAP) on environmental

monitoring and assessment will include a 

representative for indigenous peoples and 

comment from Canadian First Nation groups. 

In Banff, JPAC had detailed and direct involvement with Council. Drawing from the results of

past plenary sessions, JPAC was able to provide

specific views on matters such as the North

American Pollutant Release and Transfer Register,

strategic directions for biodiversity, sound 

management of chemicals, environmental

management systems and emerging trends and

NAFTA environmental effects. The 2000–2002

program targets all these issues. JPAC was also

able to lobby successfully for publication of a

record in the minutes of the Council’s reasoning

in amending the Guidelines for Articles 14 and 15. 

In Montreal, the meeting focused on a review

and discussion of the proposed CEC Program Plan

for 2000–2002 by the Secretariat and the 

Final Analytical Framework for Assessing 

the Environmental Effects of NAFTA. JPAC, 

working with the public, provided concrete 

suggestions for priority issues for investigation.

Additionally, in 1999 we prepared an overview

for Council, showing to what level recommendations provided by the public in 1998 were

integrated in the 1999–2001 Program Plan. This

very useful tool for gauging the effectiveness 

of public input will be continued. 

Three new Mexican JPAC members were appointed

this year, as well as one new Canadian and one

United States member, each of whom contributed 

in a spirited, constructive fashion to the mission and

work of JPAC. 
8 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Report from the Joint Public Advisory Committee

We are very much looking forward under our

Mexican Chair, Ms. Regina Barba, to 2000, which

promises continued challenges. We expect to focus

on conservation of biodiversity, environmental management systems, emerging trends and air quality/

trade and transportation corridors.

JPAC remains committed to improving the quality of

public participation and feedback throughout the year

and during the Council Session. We will continue to

look for ways to improve transparency and accountability. Council has asked us to provide ideas and

guidance on methods for evaluating the performance

and impacts of the CEC’s projects. 

Detailed records of all plenary and regular sessions,

reports and advice to Council are available to the public on the CEC web site. I encourage members of the

public to review them. I believe the CEC and, in particular, JPAC, is a model for multi-state transparency.

I would like to thank the Council, the Secretariat and

my fellow JPAC members for their support during 

my year as JPAC Chair. I also thank the public for 

their interest, commitment and support for our 

work with these complex issues. JPAC looks to the

public to continue providing innovative ideas 

and approaches.

Jonathan Plaut

JPAC Chair for 1999
[ Annual Report 1999 ] 9

Canada

Jacques Gérin

Conseiller

Hatch & Associés Inc.

5, Place Ville-Marie, bureau 200

Montréal, Québec H3B 2G2

Tel: (514) 861-0583

Fax: (514) 397-1651

e-mail: jgerin@hatch.ca

Jonathan Scarth

Executive Vice President

Delta Waterfowl Foundation

R.R. 1, Box 1

Portage la Prairie, Manitoba R1N 3A1

Tel: (204) 239-1900

Fax: (204) 239-5950 

e-mail: jscarth@deltawaterfowl.com

Mary Simon

Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs 

and Canadian Ambassador to Denmark

Kr. Bernikowsgeid 1

1105 Copenhagen

K, Denmark

Tel: (011 4533) 48-32-00

Fax: (011 4533) 48-32-20

e-mail: mary-may.simon@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Donna Tingley

Executive Director

Clean Air Strategic Alliance

9th floor, 9940 - 106th Street

Edmonton, AB T5K 2N2

Tel: (780) 427-9793

Fax: (780) 422-3127

e-mail: dtingley@casahome.org

Liette Vasseur

Associate Professor 

International Project Director

Department of Biology and Environmental 

Studies Program

Saint Mary’s University

923 Robie St.

Halifax, NS B3H 3C3

Tel: (902) 496-8234

Fax: (902) 420-5261

e-mail: liette.vasseur@stmarys.ca

JPAC

Members 1999
10 [ Annual Report 1999 ] JPAC Members 1999

Mexico

Regina Barba 

Secretaria General

Unión de Grupos Ambientalistas, I.A.P.

Av. Antonio Rodríguez No. 57 .bis

Col. San Simón, Ticumac

México, D.F. 03660

Tel: (011 525) 672-6149 / 532-2717 / 532-5639

Fax: (011 525) 532-5639

e-mail: elrasa@df1.telmex.net.mx

Daniel Basurto

Abogado

Basurto, Santillana y Arguijo, S.C.

Homero No. 1804, Desp. 602

Col. Polanco

México, D.F. 11570

Tel: (011 525) 395-1085

Fax: (011 525) 395-1095

e-mail: basurto@webtelmex.net.mx

Ernesto Enkerlin

Director, Pronatura Noreste

Professor, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Centro de Calidad Ambiental

Garza Sada #2501 Sur

Monterrey, N.L. 

Mexico 64849

Tel: (011 528) 328-4032 / 387-5814

Fax: (011 528) 387-5815 / 359-6280

e-mail: eenkerlin@pronatura.org.mx

Raúl Tornel

Presidente

Comisión de Ecología de la Industria Nacional

CONCAMIN

Camino a Santa Lucía # 198

Fracc. Industrial San Antonio

Azcapotzalco, México D.F. 02760

Tel: (011 525) 353 3194

Fax: (011 525) 561 0097

e-mail: rtornel@tornel.com.mx

Blanca Torres

Profesora

Centro de Estudios Internacionales

El Colegio de México, A.C.

Camino al Ajusco 20

Col. Pedregal de Santa Teresa

México, D.F. 01900

Tel: (011 525) 449-3000 Ext. 4037

Fax: (011 525) 645-0464

e-mail: btorres@colmex.mx

United States

Peter Berle

P.O. Box 881

Stockbridge, Massachusetts 01262

Tel: (413) 298-0061

Fax: (413) 298-0069

e-mail: pberle@audubon.org

Steve Owens

Senior Counsel

Muchmore & Wallwork, PC

2700 N. Central Avenue

Suite 1225

Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Tel: (602) 240-6652

Fax: (602) 240-6697

e-mail: sowens@mmww.com

Jonathan Plaut

3 Ashland Rd.

Summit, New Jersey 07901

Tel: (908) 273-4127

Fax: (908) 273-6836

e-mail: jplaut@aol.com

John Wirth

President

North American Institute

708 Paseo de Peralta

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

Tel: (505) 982-3657

Fax: (505) 983-5840

e-mail: jdwirth@leland.stanford.edu
[ Annual Report 1999 ] 11

Message

from the

Executive

Director

of the CEC

Secretariat

Progress in most areas of public policy now relies on

international cooperation as it never has before.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the field of the 

environment.

But the willingness to cooperate in a climate that is

otherwise increasingly competitive cannot be taken

for granted. It takes a somewhat transcendent view,

an ability to recognize where and how the interests

of peoples of different countries are intertwined. 

And we are learning that there is a real need for a forum

where countries can work together in pursuit of those

common interests, in our case the crucial work of protecting the environment that underpins the well being

of everyone who lives on this continent.

On behalf of all of us at the CEC, I am very pleased

to present to you, through the pages of this annual

report, the story of the progress we were able to

achieve together in 1999.

Janine Ferretti

Interim Executive Director

Cooperative

Achievements

1
14 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

1999 Program 

Summary

Environment, Economy and Trade

The goal of the Environment, Economy and Trade

program is to encourage mutual compatibility of

trade, environmental and economic policies and

instruments within North America and between

North America and other trade alliances or regions.

Emerging Trends in North America

NAFTA Environmental Effects

Sustainable Use of Primary Natural Resources:

Agriculture

Facilitating Conservation of Biodiversity 

as it relates to Trade in Wildlife Species

Sustainable Tourism in Natural Areas

Conservation of Biodiversity

The goal of this program is to promote and conserve

ecosystem health and integrity, and foster and encourage the conservation, protection and sustainable use

of biodiversity and its components.

Strategic Directions for the Conservation 

of Biodiversity

Cooperation on the Protection of Marine 

and Coastal Ecosystems

Mapping Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems 

of North America

North American Marine Protected Areas

Network

North American Biodiversity Conservation

Mechanisms

North American Biodiversity Information

Network
1999 Program Summary [ Annual Report 1999 ] 15

Pollutants and Health

The goal of the program on Pollutants and Health is

to facilitate cooperative initiatives to reduce pollution risks and minimize pollution impacts.

Facilitating Trinational Coordination 

in Air Quality Management

Developing Technical and Strategic Tools 

for Improved Air Quality in North America

Environmental Cooperation in the NAFTA

Transportation Corridors

Regional Cooperation Toward Improved

Understanding and Eventual Implementation 

of the Clean Development Mechanism and

Joint Implementation

Sound Management of Chemicals

North American Pollutant Release 

and Transfer Register

Shared Approaches to Byproduct Synergy

Capacity Building for Pollution Prevention

Law and Policy

The goal of the Law and Policy program is to facilitate the development of law, policy and economic

instruments; to aid the development of alternative

approaches to achieving compliance, including effective enforcement; and to promote greater public

participation and transparency in decision-making.

North American Regional Enforcement Forum

Enforcement and Compliance Capacity

Building

Indicators of Effective Environmental

Enforcement
16 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Cooperative

Achievements

selected 14 proposals for papers that will provide

analysis across a range of sectors and reflect a variety

of methodological approaches. The results of the 

symposium will help improve the development and

application of methodology, and suggest promising

future areas of study.

Green Goods and Services

Another main area of concentration is developing

opportunities for “win-win” linkages between the

areas of environmental protection and commerce. 

In 1999, the CEC undertook a market study to evaluate

the potential market demand for shade-grown coffee.

The analysis shows that consumers in Canada and the

United States are willing to pay a price premium for

coffee grown under a forest canopy, which ensures

Understanding Linkages between

Environment, Economy and Trade

An important contribution of the CEC has been 

the development of a methodology for analyzing the

effects of NAFTA on the environment. The resulting

Final Analytic Framework for Assessing the Environmental

Effects of NAFTA can be used as a model by others 

as they consider approaches to examining the 

environmental linkages to other trade agreements 

in the WTO or FTAA context. On 11–12 October 2000,

in Washington, DC, the CEC is convening a symposium on Understanding the Links between Trade and

Environment in Washington, DC. Over 50 proposals

for research papers to be presented at the symposium

were received in response to the call for papers 

issued by the CEC. A review committee headed 

by symposium chairperson, Pierre Marc Johnson,

Environment, Trade and Economy

Under our mandate from the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, the work in this area serves

to advance the understanding of the relationship between the environment, the economy and trade, and to encourage

cooperation to support environmental protection in the context of liberalized trade. These objectives are encompassed 

in two program initiatives.
Cooperative Achievements [ Annual Report 1999 ] 17

important habitats for birds and other kinds of wildlife.

It suggests that Mexico—the world’s largest producer

of organic coffee and among the largest producers 

of the expanding, billion-dollar shade-grown coffee

market worldwide—is well positioned to strengthen

its already impressive market share and profit from

the clear links between shade-coffee and environmental protection. In addition to looking at market

demand, the CEC has been working with the

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center to develop with

farmers and others a common understanding of the

environmental and other related criteria for defining

“shade coffee.” In March this year, coffee-growers,

distributors, roasters and retailers met to identify ways

to increase the market share of shade coffee. They

identified labeling as an important area for the CEC

to examine. 

Wildlife Conservation 

The CEC’s North American Bird Conservation

Initiative (NABCI) is continuing its work building

partnerships for the conservation of birds and other

species of concern in North America. One result 

has been the establishment of a coalition of over 

250 government agencies and nongovernmental

organizations, all united by a common goal and set

of objectives for the conservation of birds. NABCI

provides a crucial continental framework for North

American cooperation and at the same time for local,

“on the ground” efforts. After one year of operation:

A North American Action Plan and a set 

of Guiding Principles and have been 

developed.

A map has been completed of Bird

Conservation Regions of North America—

based on the CEC-identified nested levels 

of ecoregions. The Bird Conservation Regions,

which have similar natural characteristics 

and human land uses, enable efficient 

conservation planning, implementation 

and evaluation. Moreover, these ecologically

based conservation units facilitate partnerships

among groups of stakeholders who share

landscapes but differ in their conservation

and socioeconomic values.

The Trilateral Committee on Wildlife and

Ecosystems and the wildlife agencies of the

three countries have embraced the CEC’s

North American Bird Conservation Initiative

(NABCI) as an umbrella organization for bird

conservation.

Conservation of Biodiversity

The CEC is helping the three nations cooperate in their efforts to conserve biodiversity and to provide seamless border

protection and habitat maintenance for transboundary species. The work of the CEC has centered around four

important areas of action:
18 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Cooperative Achievements

Coordinated national strategies and action

plans from Canada, Mexico and the US are

moving forward and financial mechanisms

are being developed. 

A second meeting of North American bird

conservationists is being planned for the end

of this year.

The North American Important Bird Areas Directory of 

150 Key Conservation Sites was produced by the CEC in

partnership with key conservation groups. The Directory

is an information tool for government agencies and

conservation groups that aids in the protection of key

habitats for all birds species of the region.

As well, the CEC has worked with the wildlife experts

of the three countries to develop a portfolio North

American Species of Common Concern. This list of

species—now adopted by the Trilateral Committee

of Wildlife and Ecosystems—is the first step for the

three countries in their collaboration on protecting

threatened and endangered species. These initiatives

will lay the groundwork for a more focused 

and strategic approach for the CEC in the area of 

biodiversity conservation.

Ecoregional Initiatives: 

Global Programme of Action—Gulf of

Maine and the Bight of the Californias

Over the past three years, nearly a thousand 

stakeholders from various sectors of two shared, transboundary watersheds—the Bight of the Californias

and the Gulf of Maine—have partnered with the 

CEC in developing coordinated actions to implement

the UN Global Program of Action for the Protection

of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities

(GPA). The binational groups in both regions have

achieved significant progress. They have reached a

broad-based, multi-sectoral consensus on priority

land-based activities that are contributing to the 

deterioration of marine ecosystems, compiled a set

of response strategies, and initiated specific implementation projects. In addition, they are galvanizing

action across jurisdictional authorities, affected 

sectors and organizations. All of this has been 

accomplished largely through the voluntary efforts

of all members and the coordination, support, and

seed funding provided from the CEC. 
Cooperative Achievements [ Annual Report 1999 ] 19

Improving Information on 

North American Biodiversity 

The CEC has focused on helping to develop information and making it more accessible to assist

decision-makers, wildlife managers and conservation

organizations in their biodiversity conservation

efforts. The North American Biodiversity Information

Network (NABIN) constitutes a major breakthrough

in establishing a network of collectors and users 

of biodiversity data in North America. Working with

more than 50 of North America’s most important 

centers of biodiversity information, the CEC has

helped make 75 data sets and 45 million data points

accessible via the Internet. NABIN is considered by

many institutions as a successful model for bringing

together biodiversity information. These organizations

include the Global Biodiversity Information Facility,

which was initiated by the OECD and is recommending NABIN as the model of choice for a

worldwide biodiversity science network. Other 

biodiversity information products that the CEC has

produced in partnership with other conservation

organizations and agencies include ecoregional maps

for North America at different levels of aggregation,

and a gap analysis of conservation needs in North

America.

Development of a Strategic 

Approach to Conservation 

The CEC is establishing a strategic approach to its

work on biodiversity. The first phase in doing so 

has been to work with interested institutions and

organizations, including the indigenous peoples 

and JPAC, to identify priority issues, ecoregions and

species of common concern. The Baseline Report on

Biodiversity in North America includes recommendations for future action by the CEC. The report takes

stock of the situation regarding biodiversity at all 

levels—genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat

diversity—and in all biomes: marine, freshwater 

and terrestrial. It assesses potential opportunities for

the CEC to catalyze action, forge new partnerships,

and help to stem biodiversity loss. 

The CEC is also in the process of helping to develop

a North American Action Plan for Marine Protected

Areas. By joining forces with marine conservationists

of North America, including the North American

Marine section of the World Commission on Protected

Areas (WCPA of IUCN), this team effort is creating a

network of Marine Protected Areas throughout North

America to enhance the conservation of marine 

biodiversity in critical marine habitats. Linked 

electronically via the web, the network of Marine

Protected Areas is developing crosscutting conservation initiatives involving Marine Protected Area sites

with shared ecological links across Canada, Mexico

and the United States.
20 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Cooperative Achievements

Pollutants and Health

The protection of ecosystem and human health is a critical component of environmental stewardship. The CEC in this

program area focuses on promoting cooperation for reducing or eliminating specific pollutants, enhancing compatibility

and comparability of information, supporting improved knowledge of pathways and fate of pollutants of common 

concern, and promoting pollution prevention. 

Sound Management of Chemicals

The Sound Management of Chemicals (SMOC) program has made important progress in recommending

limits to specific pollutants as a key objective in its

work. SMOC has demonstrated success in identifying chemicals of common concern and developing

coordinated actions to eliminate or reduce them. 

North America has shown leadership in reducing 

and phasing out persistent organic pollutants. North

American Regional Action Plans (NARAPs) have been

developed for chlordane, DDT, mercury, and PCBs.

Chlordane is no longer used or produced in North

America. In 1999, Mexico phased out its use entirely,

and the last remaining chlordane production facility

in North America voluntarily agreed to cease producing the chemical. As well, Mexico has surpassed

its target of an 80-percent reduction in DDT use by

2001 and its complete phase-out by 2006. This year,

Mexico is no longer using DDT in controlling malaria,

its only remaining use there. The CEC is committed

to assisting Mexico in its efforts to finding alternatives to DDT for controlling malaria, including

improving mechanisms for public participation in

malaria control. The experience gained by Mexico 

is being shared with Central American countries,

which will further reduce DDT presence in the North

American environment. 

As well, phase II of the NARAP on mercury has been

completed and includes cooperative actions to reduce

mercury emissions from a range of sources, including

power plants and chlor-alkaline facilities, among 

others. It has been submitted for Council’s approval.

The SMOC Working Group is reviewing the NARAP

on PCBs to decide whether revisions are necessary for

additional progress to be made in addressing PCBs in

North America. Lindane and lead are two substances

being evaluated by the Substance Selection Task Force

in accordance with the Council-approved “Process

for Identifying Candidate Substances for Regional

Action under the Sound Management of Chemicals

Initiative.” The Task Force has released for public comment its decision recommending the development

of a NARAP on lindane. It is still evaluating lead in

accordance with the process.
Cooperative Achievements [ Annual Report 1999 ] 21

Pollutant Release and Transfer Register

Each of the Parties has developed, or is developing,

a pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) reporting on specified chemicals released and transferred

into the environment by certain industrial facilities.

Canada has its National Pollutant Release Inventory

(NPRI), the United States, the Toxics Release Inventory

(TRI), and Mexico is developing the Registro de

Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RETC).

The Commission takes the data reported by industrial

facilities to these national inventories and produces

a North American pollutant releases and transfers

report. The Commission’s aggregate report is entitled

Taking Stock and is produced annually. The fourth

Taking Stock, for 1997 data, was released in May (2000).

Like its national counterparts, Taking Stock promotes

transparency and provides valuable information for

public use as information and in the development 

of plans and strategies to protect health and the environment. Unique because of its comparative analysis,

Taking Stock is an important tool that helps the three

countries to measure trends and progress in achieving

pollution prevention. 

Air Quality

The CEC has helped establish a foundation for North

American cooperation on air pollution. Domestic

efforts to improve air quality can be more successful

if the three countries share a coordinated approach to

tackling both long-range transport of air pollution

and the increasing pressures of transportation associated with a dramatic increase in trade in goods among

the NAFTA countries. The CEC has worked on several

fronts to help three countries increase cooperation 

on a North American level. 

One area has been in improving a shared understanding of the nature of long-range transport of air

pollution. Reports developed by the CEC, such as

Continental Pollutant Pathways, and the Long-range

Transport of Ground-level Ozone and its Precursors, have

been followed by work on tracking the atmospheric

transport of dioxin. The results of this study will 

be released in late summer, 2000. Similar work for 

mercury will be undertaken later this year.

Another focus has been to develop opportunities to

enhance collaboration between air quality officials in

the three countries. In March this year in North

Carolina, the CEC held the first North American air

quality meeting. It was a general introduction to the

air quality management systems of the three countries

and over 200 air officials attended it from the three

countries. Next year’s meeting will be held in Canada.

An overview of each country’s air pollution management system has been completed and will be published

by the CEC later this fall. As well, in cooperation with

STAPPA/ALAPCO, the CEC is helping to establish 

the North American component of an international 

air quality web site that is designed to assist professionals in air pollution management by making

air–quality-related information more readily available. 
22 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Cooperative Achievements

The CEC is currently assessing some of the potential

air quality and other environmental issues related 

to the expansion of North American trade and 

transportation corridors. The CEC is facilitating 

a network of interested stakeholders to examine 

potential corridor scenarios and to promote and 

highlight “best practices” in the region.

Pollution Prevention

The NAAEC Parties are pursuing pollution prevention

in varying degrees. The Commission has promoted

cooperation in pollution prevention, assisting first with

the small and medium-size enterprises in Mexico, as

it is widely recognized that those enterprises in 

general have a more difficult time making progress 

in pollution prevention. The Taking Stock report on

1997 data indicates that companies reporting smaller

volumes of emissions and releases (less than 100,00 kg

per year) are not keeping up with improvements being

made by the larger facilities and, in fact, are essentially

going in the opposite direction, with both emissions

and transfers increasing. A challenge for many small

and medium-size enterprises is access to resources to

incorporate pollution prevention strategies and technologies. To demonstrate whether alternative financial

mechanisms could provide small and medium-size

enterprises with greater access to techniques for 

pollution prevention, the CEC established a pilot fund

in 1996. Working with the Confederacion de Camaras

Industriales (Concamin) through its Fundacion Mexicana

para la Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología en la

Pequena y Mediana Empresa (Funtec) the CEC helped 

set up the Fondo para Proyectos de Prevención de la

Contaminación (Fiprev) to demonstrate the feasibility

of a revolving fund to help Mexican small and

medium-size enterprises make investments in pollution prevention. The CEC contributed US$350,000 to

this effort and Funtec US$480,000. Since it became

operational in 1998, Fiprev has made 11 low-interest

loans to small companies in the tannery, smelting and

food processing sectors. The environmental benefits

realized through these investments in pollution 

prevention to date include: 

reducing the amount of water contaminated

with approximately 34 tons of chemicals each

month by 1,800 cubic meters

substituting natural gas for diesel fuel and oil, 

providing energy conservation gains of 10

cubic meters of natural gas each month, and

reducing the amount of organic effluent 

discharged into sewers monthly by 

210 cubic meters. 

There are 34 more loan requests pending from 

small and medium-size enterprises. At this point, 

the feasibility of such a mechanism has been demonstrated. The goal, now, is to extend and expand 

the operation of Fiprev by inviting other institutions

to provide support so that it can help make a 

difference on a more significant scale with small and

medium-size enterprises. 
Cooperative Achievements [ Annual Report 1999 ] 23

Law and Policy

The CEC has fostered cooperation between the parties on strengthening enforcement of their various environmental 

laws and policies. With the active support of the parties, the Commission has assisted with a number of cooperative

enforcement.

public policy goals: 1) compliance assurance and 

ii) improved environmental performance in regulated

and nonregulated areas. The document is intended

to help users of environmental management systems make responsible decisions and take actions 

to achieve better environmental performance—

maintaining compliance with environmental laws

and moving beyond compliance. 

Use of the guidance document does not alter or diminish the rights and responsibilities of organizations

under the domestic laws of their respective countries.

It reaffirms CEC Council Resolution 97-05 recognizing that government must retain the primary role in

establishing environmental standards and verifying

and enforcing compliance with laws and regulations.

The guidance document is proof that the three countries are working cooperatively to help organizations

improve their ability to achieve and maintain compliance, improve their environmental performance,

and move “beyond compliance.”

North American Wildlife 

Enforcement Working Group

The focus of this effort has been to help coordinate

efforts to improve the capacity of enforcement agencies related to wildlife forensics. Over the past year, the

CEC’s North American Wildlife Enforcement Group

(NAWEG) has assisted in the formation of a network

of wildlife forensic experts—resulting in initial agreement to standardize procedures for DNA databases 

on wildlife species. NAWEG has also developed information to assist enforcement officers, including a

Directory of North American Forensic Laboratories, as well

as two information bulletins on forensic investigative

techniques applied to wildlife crime and the use of

DNA analysis in wildlife forensics. 

The Enforcement Working Group 

Following a Call for Public Comments and a JPAC

advice to Council, the Enforcement Working Group

has worked hard over the past year to produce a 

guidance document. The result, entitled Improving

Environmental Performance and Compliance: 10 Elements

of Effective Environmental Management Systems, builds

on the 1998 report to Council on environmental 

management systems. It represents the first time the

North American federal governments have jointly

expressed their views on how voluntary environmental management systems designed for internal

management purposes can also serve two broader
24 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Cooperative Achievements

Other Initiatives of the CEC

Article 13

Article 13 of the NAAEC prescribes that “The

Secretariat may prepare a report for the Council 

on any matter within the scope of the annual 

program.” The Commission has carried out the 

provisions set forth by Article 13 in certain work 

initiatives.

San Pedro River

In Banff last year, the CEC Council released 

A Ribbon of Life: An Agenda for Preserving

Transboundary Migratory Bird Habitat on the

Upper San Pedro River. The initiative included

an experts’ report and recommendations 

for action by a very capable group of local

and regional stakeholders. The Secretariat is

pleased to report that since that time, many

of the recommendations have been, or are

being implemented, including very concrete

and far-reaching steps to protect the watershed. On the US side of the basin, a number 

of public/private initiatives have been

launched to coordinate and guide conservation initiatives, including the San Pedro

Partnership, a public/private coalition 

dedicated to preserving this key migratory

bird corridor. In Mexico, efforts are underway

to bring critical stretches of the basin 

within Mexico’s protected area regime, 

and a trust fund is being established 

to ensure that resources are available to 

promote conservation efforts in the future.

While much is left to do, there is no doubt

that the chances of saving the San Pedro River

and its migratory bird corridor are much 

better today than they were a few years ago.

Transboundary Environmental 

Impact Assessment

The three NAFTA countries continue to work toward

notification, consultation and assessment for projects

that may adversely affect the environment of a neighboring territory. Recently, the US and Mexican 

border states declared their intention to provide

transboundary notification for such activities once

the federal government acts on projects within federal

jurisdiction. The Parties are continuing to discuss

how to implement TEIA across North America in the

near future.
[ Annual Report 1999 ] 25

ID. Number Submitters Status

SEM-97-002 Comité pro Limpieza Awaiting additional information 

del Río Magdalena under Article 21(1)(b) from Party

SEM-97-003 Centre québécois du droit (CQDE) Awaiting instruction from the

de l’environment Council to prepare factual record

SEM-97-006 The Friends of the Oldman River Awaiting instruction from the 

Council to prepare factual record

SEM-98-001 Instituto de Derecho Reviewing revised submission

Ambiental (Guadalajara)

SEM-98-002 Hector Gregorio Ortíz Martínez Process terminated 

under Art. 14(1)

SEM-98-003 Department of the Planet Earth, et al. Reviewing response 

from the Party

SEM-98-004 Sierra Club of British Columbia, et al. Reviewing response 

from the Party

SEM-98-005 Academia Sonorense de Reviewing response 

Derechos Humanos, et al. from the Party

SEM-98-006 Grupo Ecológico “Manglar,” A.C. Reviewing response 

from the Party

SEM-98-007 Environmental Health Coalition, et al. Reviewing response 

from the Party

SEM-99-001 Methanex Corporation Reviewing under Article 14(1)

SEM-99-002 Alliance for the Wild Rockies, et al. Reviewing under Article 14(1)

Registry

of Submissions on

Enforcement Matters 1999
26

Submission ID: SEM-97-002/Río Magdalena

Submitter(s): Comité Pro Limpieza del Río Magdalena 

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 15 March 1997

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that wastewater originating in the municipalities of Imuris, Magdalena de Kino, and

Santa Ana, located in the Mexican state of Sonora, is being discharged into the Magdalena River without prior

treatment. According to the Submitters, the above contravenes Mexican environmental legislation governing

the disposal of wastewater.

1999 Events:

1. On 13 September 1999 the Secretariat made a request for additional information under Article 21(1)(b)

to the Party.

Submission ID: SEM-97-003/Quebec Hog Farms

Submitter(s): Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE), et al.

Party: Canada

Date received: 9 April 1997

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege a failure to enforce several environmental standards related to agricultural pollution 

originating from animal production on the territory of the Province of Quebec.

1999 Events:

1. On 29 October 1999 the Secretariat informed the Council that it considered the submission warranted

preparation of a factual record.

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999
Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 27

Submission ID: SEM-97-006/Oldman River

Submitter(s): The Friends of the Oldman River

Party: Canada

Date received: 4 October 1997

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitter alleges that Canada is failing to apply, comply with and enforce the habitat protection sections

of the Fisheries Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

1999 Events:

1. On 19 July 1999 the Secretariat informed the Council that it considered the submission warranted 

preparation of a factual record.

Submission ID: SEM-98-001/Guadalajara

Submitter(s): Instituto de Derecho Ambiental, A.C., in conjunction 

with the citizens affected by the explosions of 22 April 1992

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 9 January 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that Mexican Federal Attorney General and the Federal Judiciary did not duly enforce

the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA) in relation to the explosions

in the Reforma area of the city of Guadalajara, state of Jalisco.

1999 Events:

1. On 13 September 1999 the Secretariat determined that the submission does not meet the criteria 

of Article 14(1).

2. On 15 October 1999 the Submitters filed a revised submission. 
28 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999

Submission ID: SEM-98-002/Ortíz Martínez

Submitter(s): Hector Gregorio Ortíz Martínez 

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 14 October 1997

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The submission alleged “improper administrative processing, omission and persistent failure to effectively

enforce” environmental law in connection to a citizen complaint filed by the Submitter.

1999 Events:

1. On 18 March 1999 the Secretariat again determined that the revised submission filed after initial dismissal

fails to meet the criteria of Article 14(1) and terminated the process for this submission.

Submission ID: SEM-98-003/Great Lakes

Submitter(s): Department of the Planet Earth, et al.

Party: United States of America

Date received: 27 May 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters assert that the US Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations drafted and programs adopted

to control airborne emissions of dioxins and furans, mercury and other persistent toxic substances from solid

waste and medical waste incinerators violate and fail to enforce both: 1) US domestic laws, and; 2) the ratified

US-Canadian treaties designed to protect the Great Lakes that are partly referenced in the US Clean Air Act.

1999 Events:

1. On 5 January 1999 the Submitters filed a revised submission after initial dismissal.

2. On 8 September 1999 the Secretariat determined that the revised submission met the criteria under

Article 14(1) and requested a response from the Party under Article 14(2).

3. The United States provided a response on 3 December 1999.
29

Submission ID: SEM-98-004/BC Mining

Submitter(s): Sierra Club of British Columbia, et al. 

Party: Canada

Date received: 29 June 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The submission alleges a systemic failure of Canada to enforce section 36(3) of the Fisheries Act to protect fish

and fish habitat from the destructive environmental impacts of the mining industry in British Columbia.

1999 Events:

1. On 25 June 1999 the Secretariat requested a response from the Party under Article 14(2).

2. Canada provided a response on 9 September 1999.

Submission ID: SEM-98-005/Cytrar

Submitter(s): Academia Sonorense de Derechos Humanos, A.C., et al.

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 11 August 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that Mexico has failed to effectively enforce environmental law by having authorized

the operation of a hazardous waste landfill (Cytrar) less than six kilometers away from Hermosillo, Sonora.

1999 Events:

1. On 9 April 1999 the Secretariat determined that the submission met the criteria under Article 14(1) 

and requested a response from the Party under Article 14(2).

2. Mexico provided a response on 12 July 1999.

Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
30

Submission ID: SEM-98-006/Aquanova

Submitter(s): Grupo Ecológico Manglar, A.C. 

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 20 October 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The submission alleges that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws with respect to the

establishment and operation of Granjas Aquanova S.A. de C.V., a shrimp farm in Isla del Conde, San Blas,

Nayarit, Mexico.

1999 Events:

1. On 17 March 1999 the Secretariat determined that the submission met the criteria under Article 14(1)

and requested a response from the Party under Article 14(2).

2. Mexico provided a response on 15 June 1999.

Submission ID: SEM-98-007/Metales y Derivados

Submitter(s): Environmental Health Coalition, et al. 

Party: United Mexican States

Date received: 23 October 1998

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that Mexico has failed to effectively enforce its environmental law in connection with

an abandoned lead smelter in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, that poses serious threats to the health of the

neighboring community and to the environment.

1999 Events:

1. On 5 March 1999 the Secretariat determined that the submission met the criteria under Article 14(1) 

and requested a response from the Party under Article 14(2).

2. Mexico provided a response on 14 June 1999.

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999
31

Submission ID: SEM-99-001/Methanex

Submitter(s): Methanex Corporation 

Party: United States

Date received: 18 October 1999

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that the United States of America has failed to enforce California’s environmental laws

and regulations related to water resource protection and to the regulation of underground storage tanks (USTs).

1999 Events:

1. On 20 October 1999 the Secretariat acknowledged receipt of the submission. 

Submission ID: SEM-99-002/Migratory Birds

Submitter(s): Alliance for the Wild Rockies, et al.

Party: United States

Date received: 19 November 1999

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitters allege that the United States is failing to effectively enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA),

which prohibits the killing of migratory birds without a permit.

1999 Events:

1. On 22 November 1999 the Secretariat acknowledged receipt of the submission.

Registry of Submissions on Enforcement Matters 1999 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
Linking 

North American 

Communities

32 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

The North American Fund for Environmental

Cooperation (NAFEC), which has made grants 

totaling US$4.8 million, was created in October 1995

by the three North American environment ministers

to support community-based environmental projects

across North America.

In 1999, NAFEC made 27 grants totaling US$994,000

to nongovernmental organizations. The grantees were

chosen by the NAFEC Selection Committee, which

has two representatives from each country.

Grants made in 1999 fall primarily into four categories:

(1) Environment, Economy and Trade; (2) Conservation

of Biodiversity; (3) Pollutants and Health; and (4) Law

and Policy. Many of the projects involve collaboration

among nongovernmental organizations in two or

three countries.

1999, NAFEC continued its efforts to facilitate networking among NGOs in North America and share the

lessons learned through NAFEC-supported projects.

Part of this effort involved arranging a cluster meeting

on Sustainable Production in Oaxtepec, Morelos,

Mexico, in March 1999. The main goal of this meeting

was to bring together organizations working at different levels (e.g., financing, production, marketing,

consumer education) to share information, and to

voice concerns and identify ways in which they can

work together to address them. Another important

goal was to explore ways in which government 

policy in Canada, Mexico and the United States 

might facilitate production and trade of green goods

and services.

Many of the participants in this meeting have 

maintained contact and have begun to collaborate

in a variety of ways. They note that resources can be

used much more efficiently when organizations can

share information and build on the work of others.

By the end of 1999, eighty-six NAFEC-supported 

projects were completed and 41 grants remained

active. Many projects that received initial funding

from NAFEC were able to find other sources to 

continue their work; they keep in touch with NAFEC
Linking North American Communities [ Annual Report 1999 ] 33

staff regarding their progress and provide information to other communities interested in undertaking

similar efforts. This growing network of communitybased initiatives that spans the continent is one of

the most exciting products of the NAFEC process.

Grants awarded in 1999 

(all figures in US dollars)

Environment, economy and trade

International Accreditation of CERTIMEX (Mexico),

Certimex, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico ($42,000) 

• Promoting Shade Coffee within the Limited-use

Buffer Zone of EI Triunfo Biosphere Reserve

(Mexico-US) Conservation International, Washington,

DC, USA ($35,000) <http://www.conservation.org>

• Coffee with a Cause: For the Development of 

Fair Trade in North America (Canada-Mexico-US),

Equiterre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada ($38,000)

<http://www.cam.org/~equiter/> • Environmental

Conservation and Integrated Development through

Ecotourism in the Pueblos Mancomunados (Mexico),

Proyectos Productivos Sierra Norte de Oaxaca A.C.,

Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico ($50,000) • Creating the

“Green Link” for Sustainably Produced Indigenous

Goods and Services (Mexico-US), Instituto CUNA

de Baja California, A.C., Ensenada, Baja California,

Mexico ($50,000) <http://ecologia.cicese.mx/~cunabc/>

• Market Promotion in the Green Building Materials

and Services Sector (Canada-US), Société de développement communautaire de Montréal (SODECM), Montreal,

Quebec, Canada ($25,000) <http://www.web.net/

urbain/esodecm.html> • Eco-efficient Community

Initiatives (EECI) - Phase II (Canada), Pembina

Institute, Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada ($35,000)

<http://www.pembina.org>.

Conservation of biodiversity

Knowledge and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity 

in Oaxaca (Mexico), Estudios Rurales y Asesoría

Campesina, A.C., Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico ($50,000)

<http://antequera.com/personales/era.html> 

• Ecosystem-based Planning for the Queen Charlotte

Islands - Haida Gwaii (Canada), Gowgaia Institute

Society, Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada

($36,000) <http://www.spruceroots.org/Gowgaia.html>

• Development of a Protocol Framework for

Meaningful Consultation with Canada’s Aboriginal

People on Forest Management (Canada), National

Aboriginal Forestry Association, Ottawa, Ontario,

Canada ($50,000) <http://www.sae.ca/nafa> • Towards

Transboundary Management for the Flathead River

Drainage (Canada-US), East Kootenay Environmental

Society, Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada

($55,000) <http://www.ekes.org> • Community

Development and Public Awareness in the Laguna

Madre of Tamaulipas (Mexico-US), Pronatura

Noreste, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico ($40,000)

<http://www.pronatura.org.mx> • Conserving Bird

Habitats in Western Mexico (Mexico-US), Manomet

Observatory for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, MA, USA

($34,000) <http://www.manomet.org> • Integrating

Bird Studies with Restoration Activities in the

Mono Basin (US), Mono Lake Committee, Lee Vining,

CA, USA ($19,000) <http://www.monolake.org> 

• Sustaining the Upper San Pedro River in Mexico

(Mexico-US), The Nature Conservancy - Northern Mexico

Office, Tucson, AZ, USA ($65,000) <http://www.tnc.org/>

<http://cideson.mx/imades.html> • Communitybased Salt Marsh Restoration in the Canadian Gulf

of Maine (Canada-US), Ecology Action Centre, Halifax,

Nova Scotia, Canada ($55,000) <http://www.chebucto.

ns.ca/Environment/EAC/ EAC-Home.html> • US Gulf

of Maine Protected Areas Initiative (Canada-US),

Conservation Law Foundation, Inc., Boston, MA &

Rockland, ME, USA ($48,000) <http://www.clf.org>
34 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Linking North American Communities

• From Orcas to Oystercatchers: A Communitybased Campaign to Protect Transboundary Marine

Resources (Canada-US), People for Puget Sound, Seattle,

WA, USA ($48,000) <http://www.pugetsound.org>.

Pollutants and health

Cascadia AirNET Transboundary High School Air

Quality Education Program (Canada-US), RE Sources

for Sustainable Communities, Bellingham, WA, USA

($40,000) <http://www.re-sources.org> • Increasing

Information and Awareness in relation to Mercury

Disposal Sites (Canada), Société pour vaincre la pollution,

Montreal, Quebec, Canada ($20,000) • A Virtual Forum

for the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry

(Canada-Mexico-US), Programa La Neta, S.C., Mexico,

D.F., Mexico ($46,500) <http://www.laneta.apc.org>

• Community Management of the Right to

Environmental Information in Baja California

(Canada-Mexico-US), Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación

Ambiental, Playas de Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

($25,000).

Law and policy

Increasing Public Participation at the Community

Level in Mexico (Mexico-US), Environmental Law

Alliance Worldwide, Eugene, OR, USA in collaboration

with Instituto de Derecho Ambiental (IDEA), Guadalajara,

Jalisco, Mexico ($38,000) <http://www.elaw.org/> 

• Norms for Natural Resource Management (Mexico),

Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, A.C., Mexico, D.F.,

Mexico ($30,000) <http://www.laneta.apc.org/gea>.

Small grants made earlier in 1999

Promoting Biological Diversity Through Sustainable

Certification (Mexico-US), Institute for Agriculture and

Trade Policy (IATP), Minneapolis, MN, USA ($6,500)

<http://www.iatp.org> • A People’s Hearing on Hog

Production and Processing in Prairie Canada 

and the US (Canada-US), Sierra Club - Prairie 

Chapter, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ($6,545)

<http://www.sierraclub.ca/prairie/index.html>

• Meeting the Habitat Requirements of Cavitydependent Wildlife (Canada), Mixedwood Forest

Research & Advisory Committee (MFRAC), Swan River,

Manitoba, Canada ($6,500) <http://www.docker.com/

~kattenburgd/nafec.htm>.
Country 

Reports

2
36 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Canada 

Article 2 – General Commitments

Article 2(1)(a) State of the 

Environment Reports

In 1999, Environment Canada (EC) published 

four updated bulletins in Canada’s National

Environmental Indicator Series: Urban Air Quality;

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion; Acid Rain; and Sustaining

Canada’s Forests: Timber Harvesting. Work continued

on a new national indicators bulletin on the environmental sustainability of Canada’s agricultural

soils. The National Environmental Indicator Series is 

available in hard copy and in electronic form on the

State of Canada’s Environment Infobase web site

<http://www3.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/National/

IndWelc.cfm>.

New regional environmental indicators have 

been posted on Environment Canada’s Pacific and

Yukon Region Environmental Indicators web site

<http://www.ecoinfo.org/env_ind/>.

Also in 1999, the Canadian Forest Service of Natural

Resources Canada published Forest Health in Canada:

An Overview. This state of the environment (SOE)

report carries the new symbol for SOE reports, 

indicating that they meet the federal SOE guidelines.

In addition, in 1999 Environment Canada’s Ontario

Region and the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency released The State of the Great Lakes 1999

<http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/glimr/data/state-of-thelakes/99/>.

Finally, in 1999 Saskatchewan Environment and

Resource Management published an SOE report on

the Boreal Shield ecozone region of Saskatchewan.

The State of Canada’s Environment Infobase. The

State of Canada’s Environment Infobase web site on

the Green Lane <http://www3.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/

english/default.cfm> has been redesigned to provide

access to a broad range of environmental and 

ecological information and reports. SOE-related information can now be accessed nationally or regionally

or by regional ecological unit, Environment Canada

Country Report on

Implementation of the

Commitments Derived 

from the NAAEC

The following report 

was submitted to the 

CEC Secretariat by 

Environment Canada 

in accordance 

with NAAEC.
Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 37

administrative region, and political jurisdictional unit.

Principal categories are: National Environmental

Indicator Series; state of the environment reports;

ecosystem status and trends; early warning advisories,

which in the future will include information on

emerging trends in Canada’s ecosystems, and advisories on the most current results of ecosystem

monitoring and research; and tools, including the

National Ecological Framework. The Infobase Web site

also provides electronic links to other Environment

Canada sites such as the Ecological Monitoring and

Assessment Network and to Pacific and Yukon Region

products and programs, as well as other federal, particularly five natural resource, SOE-related products,

and provincial, territorial, and some international

agency products related to SOE reporting.

Sustainability Community Indicators. Environment

Canada has created an interactive software package

aimed at helping communities develop indicators so

that they can better assess and monitor their progress

toward sustainable development and facilitating 

the exchange of indicator-related information.

National Water Quality Index. A national water

quality index has been developed under the auspices

of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the

Environment (CCME). The index will standardize 

and simplify reporting on water quality trends 

across Canada. It was tested in several provincial 

jurisdictions during 1999.

In the province of Alberta in 1999, 13 major resource

projects were subjected to the environmental 

assessment process. The same year, environmental

impact assessments were completed for five projects.

Two of those five projects were the subjects of public

hearings in 1999.

In addition, Alberta completed several important 

initiatives related to environmental impacts. The strategy contained in Alberta’s Commitment to Sustainable

Resource and Environmental Management provides a

shared vision for a sustainable future and a clear 

direction for how Alberta’s natural resources and the

environment are to be managed and protected. It also

sets out the means to ensure effective decision making and an up-to-date regulatory regime. The strategy

establishes integrated resource management (IRM) as

the means for minimizing environmental impacts

and conflicts while maximizing long-term benefits

for Albertans.

The province also acted on its commitment to 

sustainable environmental management by releasing

Regional Sustainable Development Strategy for Northeast

Alberta. This regional strategy gives industry, local

communities and environmentalists a framework for

balancing resource development and environmental

protection in northeast Alberta. It responds to the

need to manage the cumulative effects of more than

$12 billion in existing or proposed projects in the

region. Alberta plans to implement regional strategies

in other areas of the province as well.

Manitoba’s final state of the environment report was

published in 1997. Future reports will be issued under

a new name—Sustainable Development Reports—

under Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Act. The

“sustainability indicators” presently being prepared

are based on extensive public consultation. They will

be finalized by 2001 and then used as the basis for publication of the first Sustainable Development Report.
38

In 1999, Quebec produced several state of the environment reports that dealt with the water quality of

the St. Lawrence and other rivers, particularly those

in the Gaspé, Côte Nord and southern Quebec

regions. Broad public consultations on water management held throughout Quebec produced general

portraits of water for each of Quebec’s 17 regions.

More specific water-focused reports dealt with pesticide contamination of water in regions where corn

and soy are grown and with the impact of intensive

agriculture on a small hydrographic basin. The third

annual report on the implementation of the

Convention on Biological Diversity proposed a series

of indicators for monitoring Quebec’s biodiversity,

and several other reports evaluated the situations of

certain plant species in danger of being designated

threatened or vulnerable. 

On the industrial front in 1999, Quebec produced

environmental compliance reports for the mining 

sector covering the years 1994–1997 and a 25-year

overview of industrial wastewater treatment for the

other industrial sectors. In conjunction with the 

federal government, Quebec also produced three

reports: Assessment of the Virtual Elimination of

Bioaccumulative Toxic Substances; SLV 2000 Report on

Toxic Effluent Reduction in 38 Pulp and Paper Mills, 

1993–1996; and Report of the Multipartite Committee on

Contaminated Sites of Concern for the St. Lawrence Beluga.

Article 2(1)(b) Environmental Emergency

Preparedness

Y2K Preparedness. During 1999, Canada’s environmental emergency preparedness activities focused 

on preparation for the Y2K transition period. The

National Contingency Planning Group (NCPG) at the

Department of National Defence received support for

risk assessment and contingency planning activities

in three key sectors: hazardous materials, water purification and sewage treatment. The hazardous materials

sector covered chemicals, mining and metallurgy, pulp

and paper, as well as small and medium-size enterprises

dealing with hazardous wastes. The risk assessments

were based on the results of bimonthly surveys that

were distributed with the help of various industry 

associations to all their member companies and with

the help of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities

and the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association

to municipalities across Canada. The surveys addressed

Y2K readiness (internal risks) and Y2K contingency

planning (external risks). 

Also during 1999, Environment Canada finalized and

published the National Environmental Emergencies

Contingency Plan, which details the scope and framework within which federal and provincial agencies

and industry operate to ensure an appropriate

response to any environmental hazard or emergency.

The plan also deals with natural hazards (such as

floods, earthquakes, and extreme weather events) that

may trigger environmental emergencies. For such

emergencies, Environment Canada is identified 

as either the lead or a support agency. Finally, the

plan describes the emergency reporting network and

provides procedural guidelines for environmental

emergencies staff. The national plan was prepared in

consultation with the other federal and provincial

government departments that play a key role in

responding to environmental emergencies.

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
39

As part of preparations for Y2K, the national plan

and the Business Continuity Plan were tested by

means of a series of Y2K mock scenarios in Validex

government-wide exercises. Communications capabilities were tested by means of a government-wide

telecommunications exercise. 

Environment Canada provided support for the

Canadian Y2K preparedness effort during the transition period, December 30-January 3. During 

that time, the National Environmental Emergencies

Center (NEEC) was staffed on a 24-hour basis, 

and staff with specific expertise were on standby and

available for callback.

CEPA Implementation. Part 8 of the new Canadian

Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) allows

Environment Canada to address the prevention of,

preparedness for, response to and recovery from environmental emergencies. It introduces the concept of

a “Safety Net” to address gaps in or between federal

and provincial legislation. Section 199 provides

authority to require environmental emergency (E2)

plans for substances declared toxic.

The “Draft Implementation Guidelines on Requirements for Environmental Emergency Plans” for

substances declared toxic under CEPA (Section 199,

Part 8) were drafted for public consultation in

December 1999. These draft guidelines were distributed to the CEPA National Advisory Committee (NAC)

members for comment. After a presentation on the

guidelines, the December meeting of NAC addressed

the issues of E2 planning, virtual elimination planning

and the pollution prevention planning provisions of

the new CEPA. Revised guidelines (“Implementation

Guidelines for Part 8, Section 199—Authorities for

Requiring Environmental Emergency Plans”) were later

distributed for public review and comment.

Business Plan for the Environmental Emergencies

Program. The objective of the Environmental

Emergencies Program Mandate Renewal project is to

set a strategic direction for the program and build

capacity for the next five years to address gaps and

vulnerabilities in the existing capacity to deliver the

program effectively.

After a national workshop in January 1999, management established working groups to develop

discussion papers on key program areas. The national

workshop report and working group discussion papers

were used to prepare the mandate renewal document

(Business Plan) for discussion with key stakeholders.

Further consultations are envisaged and will be

pursued through the summer and fall of 2000. 

Dissolution of Major Industrial Accidents Council

of Canada. In June 1999, the Major Industrial

Accidents Council of Canada (MIACC) released its

1998 prevention, preparedness and response (PPR)

status report, Prevention, Preparedness and Response

Actions to Reduce the Impact of Accidents Involving

Hazardous Substances. The document was to serve as

a basis for measuring the progress that would result

from the Safer Communities Initiative.

At its 18 October 1999 annual meeting, the membership of MIACC, on the recommendation of its

board of directors, voted to dissolve MIACC for financial reasons. With the dissolution of MIACC, Canada

lost a key forum for the discussion of emergencies

PPR issues with industry and other stakeholders 

such as provincial environmental and emergencies

measures organizations. Also lost were the technical

committees representing various interests and areas

of expertise that by consensus developed and 

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
40

maintained a range of emergencies PPR tools. It is

anticipated that the proposed Business Plan will

address the gaps created by the demise of the MIACC.

Quebec. In 1999, the environment minister of

Quebec participated in the revision of the Quebec’s

disaster plan (Plan d’intervention gouvernemental en cas

de sinistre). This revision was undertaken after the ice

storm of January 1998.

Article 2(1)(c) Environmental Education

In 1999, Canadian environmental educators began a

letter-writing campaign to the minister of the environment asking that Canada develop a national

strategy on environmental education in accordance

with the 1996 Work Programme initiated by UNESCO

and tabled at the Commission for Sustainable

Development. This campaign led to a decision to

embark on a nationwide consultation with environmental educators through the Internet and through

community town hall meetings which are planned

for the year 2000.

Also in 1999, the Council of Ministers of Education

(Canada) received a report from the provinces and

territories on education and sustainable development

and its current links to curriculum. This is a first 

step in ensuring that sustainability principles are 

integrated into curriculum planning and classroom

activities in the formal education system.

In the area of climate change, the government of

Canada introduced its Climate Change Action Fund

(CCAF) in the 1998 federal budget and allocated 

$30 million to a Public Education and Outreach (PEO)

program to inform and motivate behavioral change

among Canadians in communities, schools, businesses and industries. The PEO program includes an

information component to build awareness and

understanding of climate change and a funding 

component to support projects that emphasize early

action. The information component includes publications and information kits, a climate change web

site <http://www.climatechange.gc.ca>, newspaper

supplements, and print and radio advertising. As a

result of these activities, Canadians have received

information to help them gain a better understanding

of climate change, including what it means for Canada

and how individuals can reduce their greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions.

By 31 December 1999, the PEO funding program had

committed more than $12 million to 88 national and

local projects for public education and outreach on

climate change. All projects are implemented in partnership with provincial and territorial governments

and organizations, including businesses, industries

and environmental groups. As of 31 December 1999,

contributions by project partners totaled $24.8 million. Projects share information in order to encourage

early actions to reduce GHG emissions.

In Alberta, Alberta Environment staff. delivered 

educational programs to over 1,600 educators in 

communities and at teachers conventions. Alberta

Environment’s Junior Forest Warden clubs participated in a record-breaking tree planting event

(planting 34,083 white spruce in a single day). 

To promote climate change education and action,

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
41

Alberta Environment introduced an innovative 

program, “the CO2 Diet,” to federal and provincial

staff in selected departments. 

In support of the [federal] government’s efforts 

to preserve biodiversity, Alberta has developed an

educational poster depicting grasslands. It includes

readings and activities to foster stewardship of the

natural prairie landscape and the species under threat.

The Bull Trout Teachers Guide was also developed during 1999 as part of Alberta Environment’s threatened

species education program.

In 1999, the environment minister of Quebec 

and several partners launched a project, Les Aventures

du patrimoine, designed to use the Internet for 

environmental education. 

Article 2(1)(d) Scientific Research and

Technology Development

In 1999, Canada, through the Environmental

Technology Centre (ETC), undertook a variety of 

initiatives:

The federal-provincial National Air Pollution

Surveillance (NAPS) Network for monitoring

the criteria pollutants sulfur dioxide (S02), 

carbon monoxide (C0), nitrogen oxides

(NOX), ozone (O3) and suspended particulate

matter was sustained, and air toxics monitoring was continued for fine particulate matter,

O3, metals, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins

and furans (PCDD/F) and acid aerosols.

Releases from Canadian landfills were 

determined for PCCD/Fs, PAHs, volatile

organic compounds (VOCs), mercury, NOx,

sulfur compounds and nonmethane 

organic compounds.

A guidance document for the analysis of 

metals and other substances was completed

for the revised Metal Mining Liquid Effluent

Regulations (MMLER). This document allows

a performance-based approach for laboratories

providing compliance monitoring data under

the regulation.

Investigators completed studies on the level

of quantification (LOQ) for hexachlorobenzene

(HCB) and PCDD/F in soil, ash and stack

emissions. Meanwhile, a study was launched

at the Trail Road Landfill gas incinerator in

Ottawa-Carleton to determine the LOQ

of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 

addition, researchers developed a method 

to determine the presence of HCB in ferrous

and ferric chloride solutions. Furthermore, 

a guidance document was developed for

the sampling of substances that may contain

PCBs, such as paint, fluorescent light ballasts,

building debris and automotive shredded

residue.

The ETC is providing technical support to

CanAmera Foods, a MAP (Microwave-Assisted

Process) licensee, the world’s largest canola 

oil manufacturer, and Canada’s leading oilseed

processing company (BC Research Inc. also

became a MAPTM licensee in 1999). This effort

seeks to demonstrate the potential use 

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
42

of MAPTM as a low-GHG-emitting, “clean”

industrial process. The project also is directed

toward providing a substitute for the solvent

hexane in canola oil production; it is a GHG

contributor. 

Emissions from a variety of mobile sources 

and alternative fuels were measured 

to support collaborative technology 

evaluation, development and demonstration

projects aimed at reducing emissions of 

greenhouse gases. The projects included: 

optimization of two hybrid diesel-electric

urban bus configurations; development of

fuel consumption curves for multiengine

Coast Guard vessels based on field testing 

(to provide the crew with information on 

the most efficient modes of operation); 

investigation of possible engine efficiencies

under cold temperature operation (indicating

possible fuel consumption improvements of

10 percent); exhaust emissions and fuel consumption studies of a diesel engine converted

to operate on dimethyl ether; measurement 

of exhaust emissions from on- and off-road

diesel-powered vehicles using an emulsion 

of 20 percent water and 80 percent diesel

fuel; and assessment of alcohol-and-gasoline

blended fuels (from 10 to 30 percent 

alcohol) as a means of reducing vehicle

exhaust emissions.

A collaborative project was extended into 

its third year of research in order to determine

the concentration, composition and sources

of airborne carbonaceous particles in Canada.

The project is developing the tools and

knowledge needed to evaluate the fuel and

transportation standards or codes that may 

be needed to meet future particulate matter

air quality objectives in Canada. The ETC is

conducting the exhaust emissions measurements using transportation sources and

coordinating development of the analytical

method needed for chemical characterization

of particulate matter emitted from transportation sources and in ambient air. 

The state-of-the-art Scanning Laser Environmental Airborne Fluorosensor (SLEAF)

prototype was installed in a DC-3 aircraft, 

and researchers tested the unit. They have

begun to tune the software system for data

handling and display. 

Fluorometers are often used to measure oil

concentrations in the field. The results, 

however, are critically dependent on calibration

methods. An improved procedure was 

developed and tested for calibrating these

instruments to ensure greater accuracy

Research continued on the development of 

an airborne laser-acoustic sensor to measure

the thickness of an oil slick remotely. The

prototype sensor was modified to include a

new photo-refractive crystal detector, which

was mounted in a new support structure and

tested in an aircraft. 

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
43

The first phase of evaluating innovative

processes possibly applicable to the Sydney

Tar Ponds, using bench-scale testing on samples

from the site, was completed. Several technologies were investigated to determine their

effectiveness at targeting and removing

selected contaminants from the samples.

The ETC conducted a search of the available

validated techniques for measuring speciated

mercury from stationary sources. None of 

the procedures has been finalized to date,

although a technique developed by Ontario

Hydro Technologies appears to be the most

promising method. With input from Ontario

Hydro Technologies, the ETC began to 

prepare a reference method (RM) that incorporates the Environment Canada method 

for measuring metallic mercury and another

method for measuring oxidized mercury. 

Two aquatic toxicity test reference methods

were finalized and published—a RM for the

Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM)

mining requirement and a sediment toxicity

RM for the CEPA ocean disposal regulations.

The government of Alberta expended approximately

$1.5 million in 1999 on research to address the information needs related to sustainable ecosystems and

air, water, and land reclamation and remediation.

Alberta also provided $2.1 million for research conducted in 1999 by the Sustainable Forest Management

Network and the Foothills Model Forest. In partnership with the government of Canada under the

Western Economic Partnership Agreement, Alberta

began three-year research projects on groundwater

resources and cumulative effects.

Quebec undertook 16 research projects dealing with

technological development in 1999. These research

projects respond to five principal types of activities:

cleanup of gas emission and industrial effluents,

cleanup of agricultural waste, cleanup of contaminated

sites, industrial waste management, natural resource

management and municipal waste management.

Environnement Québec applied the CEC’s Ecological

Regionalization Methodology to the whole of North

America. This exercise resulted in the definition of

13 territorial units, or environmental zones, which

will facilitate the implementation of concerted efforts

to protect the environment. 

Article 2(1)(e) Environmental Impacts

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

(CEAA) is responsible for administering the federal

environmental assessment process. During FY

1999[/2000], CEAA managed four panel reviews,

which were still active at the end of the fiscal year.

During the same time period, federal departments

and agencies reported 5,640 screenings and 35 comprehensive studies (of which 10 were completed and

12 were begun) in accordance with their environmental assessment obligations under the Canadian

Environmental Assessment Act.

In southern Quebec, 88 projects were in various stages

of the environmental impact assessment process.

Forty-nine of these were land-based and revolved, 

for example, around highway development, waste

disposal, herbicide spraying, power lines and transformer stations. Ten projects were of industrial in

nature and involved assessments of, for example, a

cogeneration plant, a coke calcining plant and an

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
44

industrial waste treatment center. Twenty-nine were

in the aquatic environment, pertaining to, notably,

shore stabilization, hydroelectric complexes and

dredging programs. In northern Quebec, 31 projects

(such as roads, caribou harvesting and solid waste

management facilities) underwent environmental

assessments in accordance with the James Bay 

and Northern Quebec Agreement signed with the

aboriginal communities. 

Finally, in 1999 the Quebec Environmental Quality

Act was amended so that the minister of the 

environment can sign an agreement for the joint

assessment of any project that is to be constructed in

part outside Quebec. Passage of a specific act enabled

the joint environmental assessment of the proposed

Churchill River hydroelectric development project,

which involves Quebec, Newfoundland and the 

federal government.

Article 2(1)(f) Promotion of the Use 

of Economic Instruments 

for the Efficient Achievement 

of Environmental Goals

Federal and provincial officials continued to participate in PERT (Pilot Emission Reduction Trading project)

meetings in 1999. PERT’s submission of its 1999 

trading-system-design option paper to the Ontario

ministry of environment was a notable milestone for

the pilot. The paper discussed several approaches to

an emission reduction credit trading system, each

involving varying levels of government involvement

and market influence on a trading system.

In 1999, the government of Alberta continued to

actively promote recycling programs. The relatively

new program to recycle used oil, filters and containers has exceeded expectations with return rates of 67

percent, 75 percent and 31 percent, respectively. The

beverage container recycling program diverted

approximately 80 percent of beverage containers from

landfills in 1999. The government signed a memorandum of understanding with the dairy industry in

1999 to develop a recycling program for milk jugs targeted to a return rate of 75 percent. This program is

funded by the dairy industry.

Manitoba completed an interdepartmental review of

administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) as a tool

to complement existing provincial enforcement 

legislation. It is considering the development of 

legislation to implement AMPs. Product stewardship

programs, involving the imposition of product levies,

continue to operate successfully in these sectors: 

used oil, filters and containers; used tires; and multimaterial recycling (for example, paper, glass, plastic,

aluminum and steel cans).

In 1999, Canada’s National Climate Change Process

included exploration of economic instruments related

to the abatement of climate change. A Tradable

Permits Working Group investigated the potential

role of greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting in which

permit trading would be allowed to address climate

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
45

change. The potential for such emissions reduction

credit trading was also explored by the Credit for Early

Action Issue Table. The findings of both these groups

are online at <http://www.nccp.ca>.

Even though Environnement Québec does not yet

have enabling authority, it has already successfully

employed economic instruments to reach environmental objectives. A notable example is the 1999

environment tax charged on new car and truck tires.

It will help gradually empty permanent used tire 

storage sites. 

Article 2(3) Prohibiting the Export 

of Pesticides and Toxic

Substances

Canada’s Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances

Regulations forbid the manufacture, use, processing,

sale, offer for sale or import of some substances. In

addition, the Canadian Environmental Protection

Act prohibits the export of a substance that is banned

in Canada. 

Canada voluntarily implements the Rotterdam

Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure

for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in

International Trade. It provides for the exchange of

information on the domestic measures being taken

to prohibit or severely restrict the use of a substance.

Notification is also provided to the importing

country—that is, when Canada exports a substance

that has been severely restricted domestically.

Article 3 – Levels of Protection

Species-at-Risk Legislation 

Throughout 1999, the federal government continued

to engage in consultations with Canadians to develop

a new approach to protecting species at risk. At 

information sessions and meetings held across the

country by Environment Canada, interested parties

provided input that was taken into consideration 

during development of the national strategy to protect

species at risk. In December 1999, the federal government released Canada’s Plan for Protecting Species at Risk:

An Update, which discusses the progress made so far

and outlines the major elements of the federal government’s approach. This approach consists of a three-part

strategy that will, first, build on partnerships with the

provinces and territories through the Accord for the

Protection of Species at Risk; second, promote 

incentives, stewardship and voluntary measures as the

primary way to protect species; and, third, include

federal species-at-risk legislation, which the federal

government will introduce in Parliament in 2000.

The New Canadian Environmental

Protection Act

On 14 September 1999, the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act—an “act respecting pollution

prevention, and the protection of the environment

and human health, in order to contribute to 

sustainable development”— received Royal Assent.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

(CEPA 1999), repeals and replaces the Canadian

Environmental Protection Act, 1988. The new act

focuses on the prevention of pollution and provides

for more effective and timely management of toxic

substances, the virtual elimination of the worst 

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
46

toxics, expanded control of a broader ranger of pollutants, expanded public participation and effective

use of new enforcement tools and powers. It was 

proclaimed into law on 31 March 2000.

Additions to the List of Toxic Substances

On 13 November 1999, 18 substances were proposed

for addition to the list of toxic substances (Schedule

1) in CEPA 1999. The order adding these substances

to Schedule 1 was published in the Canada Gazette

on 29 March 2000 and came into force on 31 March

2000. The substances were: 

• (4-chlorophenyl)cyclopropylmethanone, 

o-[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]oxime, 

which has the molecular formula

C17H15ClN2O3;

• inorganic arsenic compounds;

• benzidine;

• bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate;

• inorganic cadmium compounds;

• chlorinated wastewater effluents;

• hexavalent chromium compounds;

• creosote-impregnated waste materials 

from creosote-contaminated sites;

• 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine;

• 1,2-dichloroethane;

• dichloromethane;

• effluents from pulp mills using 

bleaching;

• hexachlorobenzene;

• inorganic fluorides;

• refractory ceramic fibers;

• oxidic, sulphidic and soluble inorganic

nickel compounds;

• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; and

• tetrachloroethylene.

Regulations Finalized in 1999

The following regulations were finalized in 1999:

Federal Halocarbon Regulations for Federal

Facilities. These regulations close a regulatory

gap so that federal regulations dealing with

releases and management of ozone-depleting

substances (ODS) and their halocarbon alternatives are in line and consistent with current

provincial regulatory requirements applicable

to the private sector.

Gasoline and Gasoline Blend Dispensing 

Flow Rate Regulations. These rules reduce

emissions of benzene and other volatile

organic compounds into the environment

during the refueling of on-road vehicles.

Tributyltetradecylphosphonium Chloride

(TTPC) Regulations. These rules prohibit 

the use, processing, offer for sale, sale and

importation into Canada of TTPC, a toxic

substance, and impose conditions on its 

manufacture.

Export Control List Notification Regulations.

These regulations set forth the new reporting

obligations being imposed on exporters for

substances listed on Schedule 3 of CEPA 1999

(Export Control List). They replace the Toxic

Substances Export Notification Regulations.

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
47

Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations.

These rules prescribe the scientific criteria 

for persistence, bioaccumulation and other

relevant properties or characteristics of 

substances to be used to administer sections

73-77 (Priority Substances and Other 

Substances) of the act. These regulations

are required under section 67(1) of the act.

Manitoba Regulations

In late 1999, the Manitoba Departments of

Environment, Natural Resources, and Petroleum and

Energy were amalgamated into a new Department of

Conservation. The change will allow a more integrated

and effective approach to environmental protection.

Manitoba amended its Ozone Depleting Substances

Act in 1999 to allow the regulation of specified 

harmful “replacement products” (that is, products 

used to replace ozone-depleting substances), such as 

hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are likely to contribute greatly to the problem of global warming. 

A new act introduced in the Manitoba legislature 

in 1999—the Water Resources Conservation and

Protection Act—dealt with the bulk transfer of water

between water basins. Legislation also was introduced

in 1999 to prohibit “penned-hunting” of all species,

including native, introduced and exotic wildlife species.

Quebec Regulations

In 1999, within the context of its industrial waste

reduction program (Programme de réduction des rejets

industriels), the Quebec government continued negotiations with the province’s forestry industry

association (Association des industries forestières du

Québec) on the implementation of anti-pollution

measures in the pulp and paper industry. It also initiated discussions with the Quebec mining association

(Association minière du Québec) to implement similar

measures in the mining sector. Moreover, it developed guidelines aimed at controlling polluting

emissions in the sawmill, agrifood and fish farming

industries. Finally, the governmenmt continued to

revise its mining industry guidelines (Directive sur 

l’industrie minière), which seek to better control and

reduce this industry’s impacts on the environment. 

Article 4 – Publication

The Government of Canada publishes all of its 

environmental laws, regulations, procedures and

administrative rulings. The following regulatory 

initiatives were published in 1999:

Canada Gazette, Part I:

• Federal Halocarbon Regulations for Federal

Facilities (29 September 1998)

• Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations,

1998 (29 September 1998)

• Tributyltetradecylphosphonium Chloride

(TTPC) Regulations (15 May 1999)

• Gasoline and Gasoline Blend Dispensing

Flow Rate Regulations (5 June 1999)

• The Six Miscellaneous Amendments

Regulations (6 November 1999)—intended

to harmonize the wording in 24 regulations

under CEPA 1988 with the terminology 

and scheme of CEPA 1999. 

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
48

Two ministerial orders proposing the addition of the

following toxic substances to Schedule 3 of CEPA

1999, were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I,

on 25 December 1999: (4-chlorophenyl)cyclopropylmethanone, o-[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]oxime, which

has the molecular formula C17H15ClN2O3, to Part I of

Schedule 3; and tributyltetradecylphosphonium 

chloride to Part 3 of Schedule 3.

Canada Gazette, Part II:

• Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations,

1998 (6 January 1999)

• Federal Halocarbon Regulations for Federal

Facilities (7 July 1999)

• Gasoline and Gasoline Blend Dispensing

Flow Rate Regulations 

(16 February 2000)

• Tributyltetradecylphosphonium Chloride

(TTPC) Regulations 

(15 March 2000)

The Canada Gazette remains the official parliamentary

journal of the federal government. However, the

Environmental Registry, required under Section 12 of

the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, is

a key instrument in facilitating access to documents

related to the CEPA. The Environmental Registry is not

intended to replace the Canada Gazette but to complement it. The Registry provides online up-to-date

versions of current CEPA 1999 instruments and enables

the public to monitor the progress of instruments,

including regulations and orders, from their proposal

to final publication in Part II of the Canada Gazette. 

Article 5 – Government 

Enforcement Action

What’s New? 

Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The 1999

Canadian Environmental Protection Act gives

Environment Canada’s enforcement staff additional

powers and the department new tools to respond to

violations. The new CEPA also gives the EC a new

enforcement tool called Environmental Protection

Alternative Measures. This tool, which takes the form

of negotiated agreements between offenders and the

Crown, is intended to ensure that offenders return

to compliance yet avoid lengthy prosecutions. Such

agreements are used only when the offense fits 

established criteria.

Also under CEPA 1999, the EC’s designated pollution

inspectors and investigators gain significant new

authorities by receiving peace officer status. New

authorities include the right to enter premises; open

containers and examine contents; take samples; 

conduct tests and measurements, and obtain access

to information (including data stored on computers).

They also are able to exercise generic peace officer

powers such as serving summonses and subpoenas;

securing inspection warrants; using force under predetermined conditions; obtaining tele-warrants and

general warrants; stopping and detaining conveyances;

and making arrests without warrant.

Another new enforcement tool granted under CEPA

to enforcement officers is the Environmental

Protection Compliance Order. These orders are 

similar to those found elsewhere in Canadian law for

stopping or preventing violations, or requiring actions

to be taken.

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
49

The new CEPA permits the use of ticketing in situations where, for example, a warning is believed to be

inadequate but a court prosecution is not warranted.

Work has begun on implementing this authority

through the Contraventions Act. 

Finally, the new CEPA allows any individual residing

in Canada who is at least 18 years of age to apply to

the minister of the environment for an investigation

of alleged offenses related to the CEPA. If the minister

fails to take action within a reasonable time, or the

response is unreasonable, the applicant, acting as a

friend of the environment, may take direct action in

the civil courts against the alleged offender. The act

prohibits individuals from obtaining damages in 

this kind of suit. Actions such as these are called

Environmental Protection Actions.

National Enforcement Program: Action Plan.

During 1999, work was completed on most of the 

15 projects included in the National Enforcement

Program’s Action Plan. Among them was a “Business

Case” which assessed the gap between the existing

National Enforcement Program and a strengthened

one. In addition, in the FY 2000/2001 federal budget

the government has allocated $40 million in new

funds to federal environmental law enforcement over

the next five yearsæthe first time a federal budget has

made specific provision for enforcement funding.

These funds will allow the enforcement community

to hire additional enforcement personnel for inspections, intelligence gathering and investigation of

suspected violations. The allocation of the new funds

is clearly in recognition of the important function

compliance verification and enforcement play in

achieving improved environmental quality.

Fisheries Act. In cooperation with the Department

of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada is finalizing a new Compliance and Enforcement Policy for

the habitat protection and pollution prevention 

provisions of the Fisheries Act.

NEMISIS. Enforcement managers are using the

National Enforcement Management Information

System and Intelligence System (NEMISIS) as a tool

for effectively recording data related to [violation]

occurrences, inspections and investigation activities

and actions. They also are using NEMISIS to track and

report on these same enforcement activities. In 1999,

the system was further developed to include ongoing new requirements and links to information in

existence prior to the creation of NEMISIS.

Compliance and Enforcement

As with most compliance and enforcement programs,

the goal is compliance, and in 1999 Environment

Canada, Environnement Québec, Manitoba Environment and Alberta Environment continued to promote

compliance by means of passing pertinent legislation,

providing information on the Web, holding meetings

with the regulated community, distributing bulletins

and other publications for specific audiences, and

publishing the names of those found guilty by the

courts.

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
The monitoring of compliance, both federally and

provincially, is aided by the permits, licenses

and other authorizations that are required for many

activities, such as the transboundary movement of

hazardous wastes, ocean dumping, international 

trade in endangered species, hunting and trapping,

and those activities that pose a risk of releasing 

contaminants into the environment. For example, in

FY 1998/1999 Environment Canada processed 8,594

notices for the proposed international shipment of

hazardous wastes and 42,594 manifests associated

with actual shipments. Approximately 99 percent of

these were between the United States and Canada.

Enforcement of environmental and wildlife legislation for all parties is conducted within the context

of the overall Canadian legal framework, which

includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,

the Canadian Criminal Code, the Privacy Act, the

Access to Information Act, the Mutual Legal Assistance

Act, and the Canada Evidence Act. Most federal and

provincial environmental and wildlife legislation 

provides for the authority to search, seize and detain

under the rules established by legislation. In Quebec,

the Civil Code and Penal Code are in effect as well. 

Alberta Environment is responsible for the environmental protection and resource management of

Alberta’s air, land, water, fish, wildlife, forestry,

provincial parks, and natural heritage resources. Its

Compliance Assurance Principles describe how the

department will, and in many cases already does, 

use education, prevention and enforcement to ensure

that regulated parties comply with the legislation 

it administers. The Principles build on existing 

compliance assurance programs and develop a 

harmonized departmental approach to Alberta

Environment’s compliance assurance business.

Alberta Environment is working on fully implementing the Principles.

As part of the Principles, Alberta Environment is developing a computerized tracking system that will collect

and summarize enforcement and compliance assessment data (inspections, reviews and audits) from the

entire department. It intends to publish these data

annually in a compliance assessment and enforcement activities report; the first of which is expected

in the latter half of FY 2000/2001.

Licenses, Permits and Authorizations. The Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species of 

Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), signed by more than

130 countries, helps to control the international trade

in endangered and protected species (see table, which

summarizes the CITES permits issued in Canada 

during 1998).

Environment Canada also is responsible for enforcing

the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation

of International and Interprovincial Trade Act 

(WAPPRIITA). Currently, WAPPRIITA and its regulations require that for Canada all CITES-listed wild

50 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
51

animals and plants and their parts and derivatives be

exported or imported under the authority of CITES

permits issued by Canada, another country or both,

depending on the conservation status of the species

involved. New regulations have recently provided 

for the following:

Removal notice. Gives an enforcement officer

the authority to require removal of the item

from Canada when that is preferable to

seizure and forfeiture. The advantage is that

the specimens are removed quickly without

the need for, or costs associated with, a court

proceeding. The violator assumes responsibility for the costs. 

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

CITES Permits Issued in Canada, 1998

Temporary

Jurisdiction Import Export Export/Import Scientific

Canada 193 8,438 239 36

Albertaa NA

British Columbia 2,084

Manitoba 1,630

New Brunswick 1,547

Newfoundland 130c

NWT 95

Nova Scotia 63

Ontario 5,697

PEI 3

Quebec 1,999

Saskatchewanb 480c

Yukon 242

Total 193 22,408 239 36

Appendix I species included 193 NA NA NA

on permit 

Source: Canadian Wildlife Service.

Note: NA = not available.

a Alberta does not issue CITES export permits.

b Saskatchewan ceased issuing CITES export permits for black bear in 1997.

c Estimated from last year’s report.
52

Extended forfeiture time (from 70 to 90 days).

Gives the importer, exporter or enforcement

officer sufficient time to obtain the information

necessary to complete a review or investigation

of the case.

Personal and household effects exemptions. The

parties to CITES have recognized that requiring permits for the personal and household

goods of individual travelers may not be 

justifiable or necessary as a means of meeting

conservation objectives. Consequently, the

convention and subsequent resolutions of 

the parties provide that countries may allow

exemptions from or modifications of CITES

permit requirements for personal and household effects. Currently, WAPPRIITA and the

regulations require exporters and importers to

obtain permits from Canada, another country

or both, depending on the level of regulation

of the species under CITES, prior to shipment

into or out of Canada. To change this situation,

the regulation sets out permit exemptions.

Training

Environment Canada, Manitoba Environment,

Environnement Québec and Alberta Environment all

have training courses for their enforcement staffs. The

courses are specifically designed to accommodate variables such as changing priorities and new or updated

legislation and regulations. Environment Canada has

expended significant effort to ensure that new, and

even experienced, enforcement staff members are fully

trained in how to use the additional powers granted

by the new CEPA. The training includes a six-week

training course in conjunction with the Royal

Canadian Mounted Police Training Academy.

So that Environment Canada enforcement officers

employ their new authorities in a professional manner

that ensures their safety and that of the public, they

receive training in many areas, including: applied

peace officer sciences; enforcement officer safety and

defensive tactics; and driver training and vehicle safety.

During FY 1999/2000, some 200 attendees received

training in the following courses.

• General Enforcement Training (GET) for

CEPA Enforcement Officers (six weeks);

• WAPPRIITA Course for Environment Canada

Enforcement Officers;

• WAPPRIITA Course for Customs Officers

(Ontario);

• Negotiations Skills Training Course for 

CEPA Enforcement Officers;

• Annual Firearms Training for Wildlife

Officers;

• Forensic Interviewing Course (one week);

and

• Safe Boat Handling Course (two weeks).

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada
53

The National Training Plan is posted on the Environment Canada web site <http://www.ec.gc.ca/enforce/

homepage/train/english/sched.doc>. Courses advertised on the training schedule are available to other

government agencies responsible for enforcing 

environmental legislation.

During FY 1999/2000, Manitoba Environment provided

training for approximately 75 environment officers. 

Inspections

On-site inspections as well as administrative verifications (off-site inspections such as the verification

of the information required of those being regulated)

are used to confirm compliance with regulations.

Enforcement officers may open an investigation when

a noncompliant situation is discovered. Each year,

the Enforcement Branch of Environment Canada 

and its five regional offices prepare an inspection 

plan that targets specific priority regulations. They 

formulate such a plan using criteria that include: the

number and types of targeted populations or activities;

the profiles, compliance histories, operational complexities and capacities of the target companies; 

the environmental significance and geographic scale

of their operations; and the nature of the applicable

regulatory provisions. 

Likewise, Alberta Environment and Environnement

Québec prepare plans for their respective jurisdictions. Manitoba Environment follows a systematic

inspection program for the industrial, municipal, agricultural and natural resources sectors. It also considers

and responds to tips, complaints and referrals from

the public or other agencies. 

Among the inspections that took place over the

course of FY 1999/2000, approximately 2,200 were

conducted by EC’s wildlife inspection staff under

WAPPRIITA, which implements Canada’s commitment to CITES. Over the same period, EC’s pollution

inspection staff conducted 2,675 inspections under

CEPA and 2,924 under the Fisheries Act.

Record Keeping and Reporting

All parties maintain records of key enforcement 

activities, including inspections, investigations, warnings issued and prosecutions. Using computerized

databases, Alberta Environment and Environnement

Québec track enforcement activities, including incident reviews, inspections and investigations. Manitoba

Environment maintains records of similar enforcement

activities through alternate record-keeping systems. 

During FY 1999/2000, Manitoba Environment

recorded 17,689 inspections and 3,117 complaints 

in the area of environmental and public health

enforcement. Environnement Québec recorded 

9,535 inspections and 1,894 notices of infraction

issued. Environment Canada uses its computerized

enforcement database, NEMISIS, for these purposes.

Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
54 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada

By law, Environment Canada must report to

Parliament annually on the implementation of CEPA

and WAPPRIITA. EC also contributes statistical 

information to the annual report on the Fisheries Act

sent by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans 

to Parliament. The latest report, for FY 1997/1998, is

available online <http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/habitat/

annrep97/english/index_e.htm>.

Finally, among other things, CEPA Environmental

Registry <http://www.ec.gc.ca/CEPARegistry/

default.cfm> established under the new CEPA, 

provides the following materials:

• CEPA enforcement and compliance 

policy;

• interpretation notices; 

• CEPA annual reports;

• CEC annual reports on enforcement 

(when they deal with CEPA issues);

• historical court decisions on guilty 

parties;

• press releases and media advisories;

• complete wording of CEPA and its 

regulations; 

• brief “plain language” summaries 

of CEPA regulations;

• enforcement activities reports and 

enforcement statistics; 

• CEPA compliance reports, as they are 

prepared from time to time;

• international conventions/accords that

Canada has signed and are implemented 

in Canada through CEPA and its regulations

(that is, the Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes);

and

• proposed new CEPA regulations and amendments of existing CEPA regulations.

1999 Enforcement Information/Statistics

Enforcement information, reports and statistics for

Environment Canada can be found on its web site

<http://www.ec.gc.ca/enforce/homepage/english/

index.htm>. Enforcement information also is 

available on government web sites for Manitoba

<http://www.gov.mb.ca/environ/prgareas/

enforce.html>,

Alberta <http://www.gov.ab.ca/env/forests/fmd/

contra/contra99.html>

and Quebec <http://www.menv.gouv.qc.ca/>.
Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 55

Quebec – Statistics on Convictions, 1999

Regulation pertaining to: Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total

Sector: Municipal

Wastewater disposal systems for 1 1

isolated dwellings (reg. 8)

Solid waste (reg. 3.2) 2 3 1 4 4 4 1 2 4 3 4 1 33

Drinking water (reg. 4.1) 2 1 2 1 6

Sector: Industrial

Pits and quarries (reg. 2) 1 1 2

Quality of the atmosphere (reg. 20) 1 1 4 2 2 3 2 3 5 1 24

Hazardous waste (reg. 3.01) 1 1 2 2 1 7

Sector: Agricultural

Prevention of water pollution in 1 1 1 1 1 2 7

livestock operations (reg. 18)

Sector: Other

Other convictions 1 2 1 1 5

Environmental Quality Act

Activities not covered under 14 23 24 12 19 27 11 11 15 14 10 13 193

regulations, guidelines or policies.

Total 18 31 26 18 28 38 17 20 22 20 23 17 278

Fines (in thousands of $) 46 60.45 51.2 25.2 90.1 144.9 38.5 24.95 60.2 30.5 27.2 25.8 625

The following tables and text summarize the information available on provincial enforcement:

Quebec – Statistics on Regulatory Enforcement, 1999

Notices of Requests for

Region Inspections Infraction Investigations

01 (Bas-Saint-Laurent) 690 74 8

02 (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean) 834 320 18

03 (Capitale-Nationale) 919 139 11

04 (Mauricie) 425 30 3

05 (Estrie) 727 36 4

06 (Montréal) 720 129 30

07 (Outaouais) 325 117 3

08 (Abitibi-Témiscamingue) 221 46 1

09 (Côte-Nord) 221 59 4

11 (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine) 167 64 8

12 (Chaudière-Appalaches) 575 157 14

13 (Laval) 343 58 5

14 (Lanaudière) 526 112 26

15 (Laurentides) 970 255 25

16 (Montérégie) 1,642 224 29

17 (Centre-du-Québec) 230 74 1

Total 9,535 1,894 190
56 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada

Manitoba—Manitoba Environment Program Operating Statistics, FY1998/1999

Number of Complaints 

Program Activity (mandated) Inspections Responded To

Public Health Act

Food service establishments 3,974 429

Temporary/seasonal food service 632 23

Retail food stores 571 118

Mobile food units 94 5

Food processors 467 40

Uninspected meat processors 67 4

Public water supply 353 60

Swimming facilities 801 23

Industrial and construction camps 27 9

Recreational camps 59 3

Public accommodation 110 16

Care facilities 436 10

Total 7,591 740

Environment Act

Waste disposal grounds 660 52

Livestock production operations 804 143

Municipal wastewater facilities 386 17

Scrap processors and auto wrecking 45 3

Agricultural operations 21 3

Mining operations 30 4

Forestry operations 35 –

Manufacturing and industrial plants 211 14

Recreational developments 12 –

Incinerators 30 2

Water development/other EA licenses 220 13

Total 2,454 251

Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act

Petroleum storage facilities 695 14

Pesticide storage and container facilities 149 22

PCB storage facilities 4 1

Anhydrous ammonia 103 2

Hazardous waste sites 302 42

Dangerous goods handling and transportation 141 6

Contaminated sites 452 15

Total 1,846 102

Request/Response-oriented Programs

Subdivision, land splits, planning schemes 1,276 43

and development plans

Litter 1,195 603

Campgrounds 3 1

Dwellings and buildings 1,215 833

Private water supplies 378 68

Unsanitary conditions 269 158

Communicable disease investigations 119 103

Private sewage disposal 867 171

Other (crop residue, ozone, WRAP, NSHPA) 496 44

Total 5,818 2,024

Grand total 17,689 3,117

Note: The scope of Manitoba Environment’s responsibilities includes, but is not limited to, environmental matters. 

These statistics cover the full range of enforcement activities for which Manitoba Environment is responsible. 

WRAP = Waste Reduction and Prevention Act; NSHPA = Non-Smokers Health Protection Act.
Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 57

Director/

Formal EO/MOH

Charges Warnings Orders Fines

Legislation Laid Convictions Issued Issued Imposed

Dangerous Goods Handling 90 90 33 9 $26,777

and Transportation Act

Environment Act 59 51 244 27 51,081

Non-Smokers Health Protection Act 1 1 1 – 74

Contaminated Sites Remediation Act – – – 5 –

Ozone Depleting Substances Act 2 – – – Pending

Public Health Act 11 10 64 7 2,741

Municipal bylaws 2 1 34 – 120

Total 165 153 376 48 $80,793

Manitoba—Enforcement Statistics, FY 1998/1999

Action Number

Administrative penalties (ADMIN) 33

Enforcement orders (EO) 8

Enforcement orders for waste (EOW) 1

Environmental protection orders (EPO) 7

Emergency environmental protection orders (EEP) 2

Tickets (TIC) 7

Warning letters (WRN) 82

Prosecutions (charges concluded, PRS) 12

Fines/penalties assessed:

Administrative penalties $156,000

Tickets 805

Prosecutions 257,000

Total $413,805

Alberta—Summary of Enforcement Actions under the (Alberta) Environmental Protection 

and Enhancement Act, 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999

Manitoba—Natural Resources Enforcement Statistics, FY 1998/1999

Approximately 139 natural resource officers located throughout the province are responsible for enforcing

wildlife protection and other legislation. They are assisted in their jobs by the province’s “Turn-in-Poachers”

toll-free hotline, which since it was launched in 1985 has received 10,417 calls, resulting in 1,678 charges 

and 323 warnings. During FY 1998/1999, Manitoba officials pursued 278 prosecutions, resulting in 209 

convictions. An additional 85 warnings were issued, for a total of 363 offenses. 
58 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Canada

Pending

Charges (charges Admin Admin

Charges Con- Convic- not con- Prosecution Jail Suspen- Court Warn- Penalties Penalties Orders

Legislation Laid cluded tions cluded) Penalties Days sions Appeals Orders ings (number) (amount) $

EPEA and Regs Subtotal 52 20 15 33 $56,265.00 0 0 5 0 92 28 $156,500 14

EPEA 32 20 14 14 56,150.00 0 0 5 0 75 27 154,000 14

Pesticides Sales, Handling,.... 19 0 0 19 0.00 0 0 0 0 5 0 0.00 0

Pesticide (ministerial regulation) 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 0

Waste Control 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 10 1 2,500 0

Substance Release 1 0 1 0 115.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0

Fisheries Act and 2,579 1,506 1,264 – $216,327.00 8 65 – 0 0 NA NA 0

Regs Subtotal

Fisheries (Alberta) Act 512 226 176 – 18,715.00 1 6 – 0 – NA NA 0

General Fisheries (Alberta) 112 25 22 – 3,706.00 0 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Regulation

Fisheries Act (federal) 32 27 15 – 4,570.00 1 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Alberta Fishery Regulation 1,923 1,228 1,051 – 189,336.00 6 58 – 0 – NA NA 0

Wildlife Act and 1,638 981 762 – $220,128.50 69 222 – 0 0 NA NA 0

Regs Subtotal

Wildlife Act 1,391 883 687 – 208,573.50 67 206 – 0 – NA NA 0

Wildlife Act Regulations 236 95 73 – 11,255.00 1 15 – 0 – NA NA 0

Migratory Bird Convention 7 1 1 – 100.00 1 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Act (federal)

Migratory Birds Regulation 1 1 1 – 200.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Wild Animal and Plant 3 1 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Protection and Regulation of 

International and Interprovincial 

Trade Act (federal)

Forestry Acts and 152 72 47 – $3,323.00 0 0 – 0 34 17 $19,054.34 0

Regs Subtotal

Forests Act 125 60 37 – 2,457.00 0 0 – 0 9 4 10,817.84 0

Forest and Prairie 9 6 4 – 350.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Protection Act

Timber Management Regulation 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 – 0 25 13 8,236.50 0

Forest Land Use 

Zone Regulation 15 6 6 – 516.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Forest Recreation Regulation 3 0 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Provincial Parks Act and 823 364 311 – $13,513.00 0 5 – 0 – NA NA 221

Regs Subtotal

Provincial Parks Act 822 364 311 – 13,513.00 0 5 – 0 – NA NA 221

Wilderness Areas, Ecological 1 0 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Reserves and Natural Areas Act

Public Lands Act Subtotal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 64 36 $58,623.05 0

Public Lands Act 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 – 0 64 36 58,623.05 0

Water Management Subtotal 0 0 0 0 $0.00 0 0 – 0 – 0 $0.00 0

Water Act 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 – 0 – 0 0.00 0

Other Acts and Regs Subtotal 2,154 1,546 1,319 – $181,015.00 6 53 – 0 – NA NA 0

Controlled Drugs and 1 0 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Substance Act

Criminal Code 45 27 9 – 2,166.00 0 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Boating Restrictions Regulations 2 2 2 – 200.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Gaming and Liquor Act 731 541 467 – 59,198.00 1 14 – 0 – NA NA 0

Gaming and Liquor Regulation 271 238 208 – 24,035.00 0 13 – 0 – NA NA 0

Highway Traffic Act 190 152 131 – 12,032.00 4 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Liquor Control Act 4 0 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Motor Vehicle 

Administration Act 335 208 167 – 59,549.00 1 7 – 0 – NA NA 0

Off-Highway Vehicle Act 432 299 272 – 18,785.00 0 15 – 0 – NA NA 0

Off-Highway Vehicle Regulation 37 28 24 – 701.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Petty Trespass Act 3 1 1 – 150.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Provincial Offenses 

Procedures Act 60 17 9 – 867.00 0 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Small Vessel Regs 42 32 29 – 3,332.00 0 1 – 0 – NA NA 0

Storage, Display, Trans. & 1 1 0 – 0.00 0 0 – 0 – NA NA 0

Handling of Firearms by 

Individuals Reg.

Total 7,398 4,489 3,718 33 $690,571.50 83 345 5 0 190 81 $234,177.39 14
Country Reports: Canada [ Annual Report 1999 ] 59

Article 6 – Private Access 

to Remedies

Persons with a recognized legal interest have access

to remedies before administrative tribunals and the

courts. Interested persons, in addition to being able

to initiate private prosecutions, may also put forth,

to a competent authority, a request to investigate

alleged violations of environmental laws and regulations. For example, the Canadian Environmental

Protection Act, 1999, which came into force on 

31 March 2000, continues the practice of its 

predecessor statute, the Canadian Environmental

Protection Act, 1988, in providing statutory authority for a person to apply to the minister of the

environment for an investigation of any alleged

offense under that act. Moreover, persons with a 

recognized legal interest in a particular matter have

access to administrative, quasi-judicial and judicial

proceedings for the enforcement of Canada’s environmental laws and regulations. To that end, CEPA

1999, introduced the concept of “environmental 

protection actions,” which allow any person to seek

a court order prohibiting a continued violation of the

statute and/or to mitigate harm caused by a violation

of the statute. CEPA 1999, like its predecessor, also

provides the statutory authority to request a review

of administrative decisions or proposed regulations.

Article 7 – Procedural Guarantees

In Canada, administrative, quasi-judicial and judicial

proceedings are available for the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. Both the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the courts have

ensured that persons are given an opportunity, 

consistent with the rules of procedural fairness and

natural justice, to make representations to support 

or defend their respective positions and to present

information or evidence. Decisions are provided in

writing, are made available without undue delay 

and are based on information or evidence on which

the parties were offered the opportunity to be heard.

In accordance with its laws, Canada provides parties

to such proceedings, as appropriate, the right to seek

review and, where warranted, correction of final decisions by impartial and independent tribunals. One

example of fair, open and equitable proceedings at

the administrative level is the Board of Review process

available under CEPA 1999. It has been expanded in

scope beyond that found in its predecessor.
Mexico 

60 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Article 2 – General Commitments

2.1(b) Environmental Emergency

Preparedness Measures

During the period covered by the report, 44 emergencies were recorded throughout the country, of

which 42 were responded to. The consolidation 

of the National Emergency Response System for

Natural Resources (Sistema Nacional para la Atención

a Contingencias en los Recursos Naturales) during this

period was essential to the increasingly efficient and

timely coordination of response to this type of event.

Within this system, state scientific/technical committees were formed in each case for response to these

events. The most affected states were Sinaloa, with 

9 events, and Nayarit, with 5.

Of the total emergencies reported in the country, 

61 percent affected the marine ecosystem; 34 percent

affected other aquatic ecosystems, and five percent

affected terrestrial ecosystems. Anthropogenic phenomena caused 21 percent of the emergencies

addressed while 19 percent were of natural origin. For

the remaining 60 percent, the causes are still being

investigated.

The most common types of emergencies involving

natural phenomena were isolated marine mammal

mortality along the beaches of Baja California,

Sinaloa, Nayarit and Sonora, as well as the mass 

mortality of 220 sea lions (Zalophus californianus) 

in Sonora. In the latter case, thanks to research conducted by the Multidisciplinary Emergency Response

Committee, an epizootic viral pneumonia associated

with a bacterial infection was detected for the first

time in Mexico and in sea lions.

There were various anthropogenic cause of emergencies, most notably spills of hydrocarbons and toxic

substances. In the cases where those responsible 

for the emergencies were identified, the relevant

administrative procedures were instituted. The most

affected taxonomic groups were fish (40 percent) 

and marine mammals (37 percent).

Country Report on

Implementation of the

Commitments Derived 

from the NAAEC

The following report 

was submitted to the 

CEC Secretariat by the 

Secretariat of Environment, 

Natural Resources and 

Fisheries (Semarnap) in 

accordance with NAAEC.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 61

A sample digester was donated to the toxicology

laboratory at UNAM’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

and Animal Science within the coordination and

cooperation scheme established between the environmental authority and various research centers;

this was made possible by funding from the Natural

Resources Trust Fund (Fideicomiso para la Protección de

los Recursos Naturales) established with the Banco

Nacional de México. The result was to reinforce the

analysis capacity necessary to determine the causes

of emergencies affecting wildlife. Likewise, the mechanisms supporting the Northwest Biological Research

Center were defined with a view to implementing a

program to monitor the freshwater, marine and coastal

environments of the Northern Gulf of California region

for the presence of biotoxins.

In the last year, five environmental emergencies

occurred in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. 

A total of 1,118 inspection visits were carried out on

these occasions, of which 1,107 found full compliance with the companies’ commitments and 11 found

instances of reasonable doubt. In the latter cases, the

companies were subjected to an in-depth review

process, whereby the irregularities were confirmed,

and the corresponding sanctions were applied.

In this period, 494 environmental emergencies caused

by the management of hazardous chemicals were

reported for the whole country. Response to 456 of

these events involved ordering action to repair the

damage, with monitoring of subsequent compliance.

In the remaining 38 cases, no monitoring was ordered

since there was no environmental damage.

The 494 reported emergencies break down as follows:

397 spills, 35 leaks, 13 fires, 9 explosions and 2 miscellaneous. The circumstances in which the events

occurred involved the transportation of substances

in 386 cases, while 65 occurred at industrial storage

sites and 5 at other types of sites, such as landfills and

sewer systems.

Further to the emergency response operations, 

1,004 follow-up actions were ordered. These may 

be classified as follows: 268 environmental site 

rehabilitations, 371 safety measures, 51 accident

investigations, 264 environmental damage assessments, 21 risk studies, 27 accident prevention

programs and 2 cases of fines imposed.

During the period covered by the report, compliance

with the measures ordered was noted in 180 cases,

while the remaining 314 were in process of implementation under strict supervision.

Capacity building continued for the Environmental

Emergency Response Resource Center (Centro de

Orientación para la Atención de Emergencias Ambientales), which provides specialized guidance and

consulting services for environmental emergency

response with the management of chemicals.

For the prevention, detection and control of forest

fires, the Ministry of the Environment, Natural

Resources and Fisheries (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente,

Recursos Naturales y Pesca—Semarnap) implemented
62 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

the National Forest Fire Prevention Program (Programa

Nacional de Protección contra Incendios Forestales),

including strategies such as:

Reinforcing physical prevention measures 

and increased publicity.

Organizing forest fire prevention and 

control by critical region and zone, with

assignment of specific resources.

Defining and applying a prioritization scheme

for forest fire response based on the following

criteria: biodiversity, protected area status and

risk of large-scale fires.

Improving institutional coordination with

state and municipal governments.

Participation of the National Forest Council, 

a multi-sector civil society organization, in

the development, design and implementation

of the program.

Heightened supervision to ensure that 

forestry services meet the obligation 

to prevent and combat forest fires.

Reorganization of forestry services by region

to increase fire response capability.

Surveillance and enforcement of sanctions

against persons who cause forest fires.

Incorporation of new weather prediction 

and remote sensing systems.

Heightened international cooperation.

Based on this program, the following substantive

actions on forest fire prevention were carried out,

among others.

Prevention

There were 76 public launch ceremonies for the forest

fire prevention campaign, with the participation of

the three levels of government, forestry operators,

community organizations and the general public;

publicity was provided by distribution of 9,404,784

copies of pamphlets and 335,074 radio and television

spots; 1,164 training courses were given; fire prevention outreach was done in 4,281 communities;

2,839 voluntary groups were formed; controlled burning was effected over 87,908 hectares to eliminate

combustible material and 12,773 kilometers of fire

breaks were built.

Detection

There were 268 forest fire control and reporting centers

in operation and 122 fire towers; 52,421 ground trips

and 10,750 reconnaissance flights were conducted

with the use of 59 Semarnap and Ministry of National

Defense (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional—Sedena) 

airplanes. In addition, a red alert system was in effect

for satellite-based forecasting and detection of forest

fires, with the cooperation of the Universidad de

Colima, the National Commission for Knowledge 

and Use of Biodiversity (Comisión Nacional para el

Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad) and Natural

Resources Canada.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 63

Protection and Control

Up to 12 August 1999, 7,918 forest fires affecting an

area of 228,773 ha were combated, for an average

affected area per fire of 28.8 ha. These figures represented increases of nine percent, 20.8 percent and

12.8 percent, respectively, over the annual averages

for 1992–1997. Of the total affected area, 82.45 percent

(188,632 ha) corresponded to pasture, shrubs and

scrubland and 17.55 percent (40,140 ha) to forested

areas.

Participating in these actions were 1,221 forest fire

prevention brigades reporting to Semarnap and other

bodies. A total of 310,848 person/days were devoted

to this work, involving members of Semarnap,

Sedena, state governments, volunteers and others,

and 49 helicopters were deployed in support of 

firefighting activities.

Operational capacity has been improved thanks to

the support of countries like Canada, the United States

and Spain, primarily in the form of technical exchange

programs and specialized training.

Rehabilitation of Fire-affected Areas

The fires of 1998 affected approximately 850,000 ha

of forested land, including 85 sites with an approximate total area of 188,000 ha classified as high-risk

due to land use changes and loss of biodiversity. To aid

their recovery, these were declared environmental

rehabilitation zones and a rehabilitation program was

devised for each.

The activities carried out in the declared areas were:

reforestation of 6,442 ha with planting of 11.5 million

trees; soil and water conservation works on 290 ha;

induced natural regeneration on 3,304 ha; establishment of fire breaks on 690 km and fencing on 1,742 ha.

As well, 21,256 of the 82,450 ha affected by small-scale

fires were reforested. These actions entailed the planting of 46.3 million trees on approximately 28,000 ha

in anticipation of the recovery of the disturbed areas.

To date, 85 rehabilitation programs have been implemented for an equal number of sites. Protection and

maintenance actions for plantings done in 1998 in

the affected areas were coordinated with the owners

of 1,706 lots in 28 states, and 2,736 ha were reforested

with a total of 4,229,137 trees.

Response to Weather Emergencies

The period was characterized by various extreme

weather phenomena: intense drought affecting the

northern states primarily, and heavy rainfall recorded

in the central and southeastern parts of the country.

Among the states affected by the drought were

Aguascalientes, Campeche, Coahuila, Chihuahua,

Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán,

Morelos, México, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla,

Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora and

Zacatecas. Steps were taken to repair irrigation infrastructure damaged by heavy rainfall in the states 

of Chiapas, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, México, Morelos,

Puebla and Sinaloa.

In order to prevent the adverse consequences of

extreme weather events, a weather alert system was

officially delivered to the municipal government of

Acapulco, Guerrero and evacuation drills were held

for residents living on high-risk sites. The system was

also delivered to the municipal governments of

Tijuana (Baja California) and Tapachula (Chiapas).
64 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

Weather emergency response assistance was provided

for the prevention of waterborne gastrointestinal

diseases, with placement of 440 water pumps at 305

localities in 31 municipalities of Chiapas, benefiting

513,921 residents, and 141 pumps at 130 localities in

24 municipalities of the state of México, benefiting

322,116 residents.

2.1(c) Education in Environmental Matters,

including Environmental Law

Environmental education and training play a 

fundamental role in the transition to sustainable 

development. Environmental education, in both its

formal and informal manifestations, is an instrument

for inducing a transformation in the collective 

consciousness. It helps to involve the population

more effectively in environmental conservation and 

sustainable natural resource management.

The primary actions taken in the field of education

and training during the period of this report are 

discussed below.

In coordination with the Instituto Tecnológico 

de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, a national 

alternative technologies competition was held with

a view to recognizing junior college-level students

who carry out projects on environmental conservation and improvement technologies.

In 1999, an ecological merit competition was held,

with awards conferred for the academic, business and

civic sectors. As well, a national curriculum contest

was held, with categories for school-based and informal educational materials. This was organized jointly

with the Fundación SNTE para la Cultura del Maestro

Mexicano, an institute of the National Teachers’ Union

(Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación).

Communication among environmental educators is

being encouraged, with support for regional and state

conferences and training workshops. Among these

activities was a networking meeting for environmental educators in the central region of Mexico; 

the Third National Conference of Environmental

Educators’ Networks, and the Sixth Southeast

Regional Conference of Environmental Educators.

These forums represented opportunities to design 

programs, assess progress and establish directions 

for future environmental education work. Likewise,

[representatives from] Semarnap participated in 

the First Conference of Environmental Educators of

Puebla and at the meeting of the Western network.

Two environmental educator training courses were

held in Cuernavaca, Morelos to design a curriculum

proposal for the Escuela Nacional de Educación

Ambiental Popular, with the participation of representatives of nongovernmental organizations, the

Biological Research Center of the Universidad del

Estado de Morelos, UNAM’s Regional Multidisciplinary

Research Center and a research group from McGill

University (Montreal, Québec, Canada).

A symposium on environmental education for 

sustainable consumption was held with the Federal

Office of Consumer Protection (Procuraduría Federal

del Consumidor). Its purpose was to exchange information on sustainable consumption education projects

being carried out by various institutions, as well as 

to develop coordinated projects and activities.

Semarnap also participated with a country report at
In environmental education, there are attempts to

incorporate the environmental and sustainable development dimension into primary school textbooks,

to provide professional development opportunities

for teachers and to produce teacher’s guides. The

following are the principal activities:

The SEP was supported in producing a 

sixth-grade natural science textbook and, 

in conjunction with the Basic Education 

and Teacher Training Branch (Subsecretaría 

de Educación Básica y Normal), a secondary

school teacher’s guide to environmental

education was produced for use in the ninthgrade environmental education course.

With the government of the Federal District

and the Mexican Institute of Renewable

Natural Resources (Instituto Mexicano de

Recursos Naturales Renovables), a guide to 

thematic environmental education excursions

in Mexico City was published. This is a 

valuable aid to schools in the Federal District,

enabling them to take advantage of existing

environmental education facilities.

Semarnap participated in the First

Environmental Education Conference,

organized by the SEP and the Environment

Department of Coahuila. A discussion 

of educational experiences was held, and 

work was begun on establishing the state’s

environmental educators’ network.

Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 65

the Workshop on Education and Learning for Sustainable Consumption organized by the Organization

for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Various environmental education documents and

audiovisuals were produced, including two volumes

for young people published in collaboration with the

Mexican Society for Popular Science and Technology

(Sociedad Mexicana para la Divulgación de la Ciencia 

y la Técnica).

This year saw the launch of a radio series on consumption and environment titled “¿Y eso qué tiene

que ver?” (What’s that got to do with it?), produced

in coordination with Radio UNAM. Forty-five television spots on various aspects of consumption, with

a special emphasis on water, were broadcast over the

Edusat System at 21,000 educational institutions

under the Ministry of Education (Secretaría de

Educación Pública—SEP).

Two issues of the international journal Tópicos en

Educación Ambiental were published in collaboration

with the University Environment Program and 

the Institute of Ecology of UNAM. The journal 

has an editorial committee made up of specialists 

of 24 countries, and reports important progress 

and debate in this field.
66 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

In conjunction with the SEP, the

Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes 

and the government of the State of

Aguascalientes, a national environmental

education forum was held. Support for this

project was received from UNESCO, UNEP,

UNDP, the World Conservation Union

(IUCN), UNICEF and the Frederich 

Ebert Foundation.

The First Children’s Environmental

Conference was held in coordination with

UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP and the Environment Department of the Federal District. 

It was attended by more than 200 children

aged 7 to 11 from different educational institutions in the Federal District, representatives

of street kids groups and children with 

disabilities. They expressed their concerns

about environmental degradation and the

need to implement environmental education

inclusive of all citizens.

The GLOBE program was instituted at 

El Papalote Children’s Museum. It is a 

permanent activity center where children

attending the museum can make measurements, send data and engage in environmental

activities to test their understanding and

knowledge of the earth.

Meetings were held in connection with a 

continuing education program for rural 

communities organized by Asesoría Técnica 

a Comunidades Oaxaqueñas, A.C. Thirty

instructors from six communities were

trained in methodologies for productive 

activities applicable to the region.

As part of the GLOBE program, Semarnap 

participated in an international training 

seminar held at the Rosenstiel School of

Marine and Atmospheric Science, University

of Miami, Florida, and the third and fourth

teacher training workshops were given.

With a view to promoting interdisciplinary 

discussion on environmental priorities in 

the transition to sustainable development,

the Second National Meeting of Postsecondary Environmental Education

Curriculum Coordinators was held; 

15 coordinators attended from an equal 

number of institutions.

Under the auspices of UNEP’s Environmental Training Network for Latin America

and the Caribbean, Semarnap participated in

the first meeting of government-designated

experts to develop a regional environmental

education and training project for 2000–2001. 

Semarnap also attended the seminar titled 

“Learning to Understand Environmental

Complexity” held at UNAM’s Multidisciplinary Research Center, and the 

environmental education conference held

in conjunction with the Second International

Convention on Environment and Development

in Havana, Cuba.

To further environmental training at 

educational institutions, a course titled “Legal

Framework for Environmental Education” 

was organized in coordination with the Office

of the Federal Attorney for Environmental

Protection (Procuraduría Federal de Protección 

al Ambiente—Profepa). A diploma program 
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 67

in environmental law was organized 

in coordination with the Universidad

Cuauhtémoc and the Universidad 

Autónoma de Aguascalientes.

A diploma program in adult education 

techniques was developed in coordination

with the Universidad Bonaterra and the

National Adult Education Institute in

Aguascalientes. An environmental education

specialization and a clean production 

workshop were developed with the

Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila.

Semarnap participated in the Thirteenth

National Meeting of Rectors of the National

Association of Post-Secondary Institutions

(Asociación Nacional de Universidades e

Instituciones de Educación Superior—ANUIES)

of the Council of Public Universities and

Related Institutions (Consejo de Universidades

Públicas e Instituciones Afines). There, a draft

action plan for sustainable development in

post-secondary institutions was presented.

The purpose of this plan is to elicit the 

development of proposals by universities

aiming to strengthen sustainable development

work.

Semarnap participated in the First

International Student Environmental Forum,

with the Cuban Center for Environmental

Information and Education; the Fourth

International Conference on Natural

Resource Management and the Fourth 

Ibero-American Environmental Education

Symposium, in Osorno, Chile, sponsored 

by the National Environment Commission 

of Chile, the Center for Agrarian and

Environmental Studies, the Universidad

Católica de Temuco, the Agencia de

Cooperación Española and the IUCN; a

course and conference on environmental 

education at the invitation of the National

Environment Commission and the Universidad

de San Carlos, Chile, the Universidad del Valle

de Guatemala and the Centro Universitario

del Petén; the International Primary School

Education Conference, organized by the

Universidad de Costa Rica; the Third

Environmental Education Days, organized by

the government of Navarra and the Ministry 

of the Environment of Spain; and the First

Meeting of Universities on Progress and

Expectations in Environmental Studies in

Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the invitation 

of the Argentine Ministry of Natural Resources

and Sustainable Development and the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos; a meeting

to implement an Ibero-American environmental management program for sustainable

development at the Universidad Politécnica

de Madrid, and an international environmental

education seminar held by the British Council

at King’s College, London.

By interinstitutional agreement between

Semarnap, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal

Husbandry and Rural Development (Secretaría

de Agricultura, Ganadería y Desarrollo Rural),

the Ministry of Social Development (Secretaría

de Desarrollo Social—Sedesol) and the Ministry

of Communications and Transportation

(Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes—

SCT), a sustainable agriculture and transition
68 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

program was implemented. Its goal is 

to decrease the incidence of forest fires 

and gradually phase out the use of fire as 

an agriculture practice, as well as to improve

the conditions of production and standard 

of living of rural producers.

There is ongoing participation in various 

committees organized by the National Labour

Standards and Certification Council (Consejo 

de Normalización y Certificación de Competencia

Laboral) for development of labour standards

for the forestry, fisheries and agricultural 

sectors, incorporating principles of sustainable

development.

2.1(d) Furtherance of Scientific Research

and Technology Development in

respect of Environmental Matters

In 1996, Profepa instituted a research program 

on environmental enforcement and compliance to

promote research in this area. It is administered under

a cooperation agreement with the National Council

on Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de

Ciencia y Tecnología—Conacyt).

The mission of this ongoing research program is to

promote, develop and publicize research in support

of environmental enforcement and compliance.

Between June and December 1998, preliminary technical reports were filed on the ten research projects

funded as a result of the first call for projects in 1997.

In August 1999, four of these projects concluded. 

In addition, the results of the evaluation process 

for the second call for projects were published. Five 

new projects were funded, specifically in the areas of

environmental law and natural resources, on the one

hand, and environmental law and human health, on

the other. These projects are now underway.

The following actions were taken to promote environmental education research at the post-secondary

level:

Assistance with curriculum analysis and

improvement for the Master’s Program in

Environmental Education offered by the

Universidad Pedagógica Nacional-Mexicali.

Similarly, the Master’s programs of the 

Universidad de Guadalajara and the

Universidad Pedagógica Nacional-Azcapotzalco

were analyzed and, in coordination with

UNAM’s Centro de Estudios sobre la Universidad (CESU), a study was undertaken on

advances in environmental education research

in Mexico.

With ANUIES, UNAM and the Universidad

Veracruzana, the First National Conference 

on Environmental Education Research 

was held.

The diploma program on regional development in southeastern Mexico was coordinated

with the Universidad de Quintana Roo, the

Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and the

Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco.

The academic coordinators of the diploma program

titled “Higher Education and the Challenges of

Sustainable Development” met to evaluate the 
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 69

program’s results and identify avenues for joint exploration between the post-secondary institutions 

and Semarnap.

2.1(e) Environmental Impact Assessment

In September 1999, the draft Mexican official standards on optical fiber installation and construction

of natural gas distribution lines were published.

Information is now being gathered to consolidate various technical concepts and provisions in anticipation

of the publication of a standard on maintenance

dredging of port facilities.

Various meetings were held for purposes of project

monitoring and technical and legal clarifications relating to the environmental impact assessment process.

The meetings were held with Petróleos Mexicanos

(Pemex), the Federal Electricity Commission (Comisión

Federal de Electricidad—CFE), the National Water

Commission (Comisión Nacional del Agua—CNA), 

the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development

(Secretaría de Comercio y Fomento Industrial—Secofi),

SCT, the Ministry of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo),

the National Tourism Development Fund (Fondo

Nacional de Fomento al Turismo), Sedesol, the Liquid

Petroleum Gas Distributors’ Association (Cámara de

Distribuidores de Gas LP), the National Chemical

Industry Association (Asociación Nacional de la

Industria Química), the Energy Regulatory Commission

(Comisión Reguladora de Energía) and the National

Fisheries Industry Association (Cámara Nacional de la

Industria Pesquera), among the most representative.

The executive summaries of the projects submitted

to the environmental impact assessment procedure

from 1997 to July 1999 were published on the website of the National Institute of Ecology (Instituto

Nacional de Ecología—INE).

To reduce the backlog of environmental impact

assessment procedures, the following organizational,

legal and technical actions were taken:

Agreements with the Semarnap areas 

intervening in this process to expedite 

their reporting procedures.

Administrative review and improvement 

of decision forms.

Formation of five regional assessment groups.

Professional training and development 

for technical personnel.

As a result of these measures, the backlog was cut by

21 percent during the first half of 1999. In that year,

a total of 575 project files were submitted to the environmental impact assessment procedure, and 154 of

these were closed.

2.1(f) Promotion of Economic Instruments

for the Efficient Achievement 

of Environmental Goals

Biodiversity

In the period covered by this report, a total of 1,194

new wildlife conservation, management and sustainable use units (UMA) were formed. During the year,

the national system of these units comprised 2,679

UMA which were involved in both intensive and

extensive management over an area of 12.3 million

ha, surpassing the original goals for enhancing the

productive diversification of rural areas. In particular,

the UMAs under intensive management made use of

more than 700 wildlife species. Both UMA types install
70 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

and operate greenhouses, zoos and botanical gardens

as well as employing other conservation and management techniques for species and their habitats.

Considerable progress was achieved on projects 

to regenerate the natural populations of certain

priority species. Based on an agreement to create a

National Advisory Committee on Priority Species

Regeneration (Official Gazette of the Federation

(Diario Oficial de la Federación) of 23 June 1999), technical subcommittees will be formed to coordinate

and carry out the work for each species.

The priority species in question are:

• crocodiles (three species)

• sea turtles (seven species)

• West Indian manatee (Trichechus 

manatus)

• gray whale (Eschrictius robustus)

• pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)

• black bear (Ursus americanus)

• bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)

• Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

• palms (various species)

• cycads (various species)

• golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

• psittacids (parrots and parakeets)

The committees’ mandates are to ascertain the demographic status of the priority species in the region;

define management scenarios for the priority species

or groups, and come to agreement with the relevant

stakeholders on the possible sustainable uses of the

resource and their promotion (e.g., extraction, direct

or indirect, consumption).

The agreements will include regulation of activities

carried out within the species’ habitat that may have

an impact on them, such as ecotourism, wildlife

observation, camping and photography, as well as

publicity for projects concerning the recovery and

conservation of the priority species.

To consolidate the implementation of the UMA, the

residents establish and finance their own participatory monitoring, prevention, rehabilitation and

sustainable use schemes for the resources. In this way,

the resource becomes a sustainable generator of direct

benefits for the residents, producers and users, instead

of becoming depleted through the unsustainable 

production of environmental goods and services.

There is also a positive impact on the habitats and

ecosystems of the wildlife species in question.

Forestry

The Semarnap strategy for the forestry sector consists

of several components. The first centers around

actions on native forests, largely located on agrarian

ejidos and communities. To promote their conservation and use, a forestry development plan directed

at the civic sector, Prodefor, was established. For 

the second component, the current administration

implemented a forestry plantation development

program for both pulp and timber, called Prodeplan.

This is the first time in Mexico that such plantations

have been established within a framework involving

strict environmental controls and equitable social

arrangements. These programs are coordinated with

related conservation and rehabilitation programs—

particularly Pronare, the national reforestation

program.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 71

The purpose of Prodefor is to facilitate access to 

the technical knowledge necessary for communities

to achieve efficient structuring of their forestry 

production lines, as well as to contribute to forest

conservation and regeneration initiatives. It is not an

assistance or compensation program. It is inclusive of

all forest-dwelling small producers, incorporating vast,

highly disadvantaged areas of the country into 

the productive process. Its objectives are to make

technical improvements to the management and 

conservation of forest resources; to promote modernization of the extraction and transformation of

forest products; to increase productivity and competitiveness; to improve the socioeconomic status of rural

forested areas, and to increase the participation of the

forestry sector in the local and national economies.

With the subsidies authorized in 1998, 1.4 million

ha were incorporated into sustainable timbering operations and 305,000 more into non-timber operations.

As a result, production is expected to increase

by 350,000 cubic meters of raw logs and 250 tons 

of non-timber products.

For 1999, the Federation authorized a budget of

P$130.1 million for this item. The rules of operation,

determined by a consensus of the cooperative producers’ organizations, were published in the Official

Gazette of the Federation on 28 June 1999, subject

to the authorization of the Treasury Board (Secretaría

de Hacienda y Crédito Público—SHCP). For that fiscal

year, the possibility existed that Semarnap would

assign resources directly to regions of special interest.

These regions were determined based on their potential

for a more diversified use of biological organisms and

their susceptibility to degradation by natural causes

and human activities. In this way, the program will

achieve national coverage, thus strengthening and

abetting the efforts of the Ministry in specific areas.

Soil is a vital resource in agricultural productivity and

ecosystem health, and its degradation has a major

impact on production; however, this problem is complicated by the many factors involved. To counteract

this problem, during the period covered by this report,

various prevention and control measures were taken,

focusing on the structural causes. The incorporation

of technological alternatives into agricultural and

forestry practices was promoted, leading to improved

soil fertility and more sustainable use.

Within the Interministerial Program for Sustainable

Agriculture, the following actions were taken:

Arid and Semi-Arid Zones

Crop substitution on 2,000 ha by promoting the 

sustainable use of non-timber species of ecological,

economic and/or social importance (candelilla,

lechuguilla (Agave sp.), manioc, mesquite, oregano,

linaloe and jojoba, among others); pastureland

improvement with extensive livestock grazing and

establishment of forage crops and shrubs; conversion

of marginally productive areas by inducing changes

in productive systems so as to improve agricultural

subsistence production and raise rural incomes.

Temperate Zones

Agroforestry on 5,000 ha involving polycultures,

green manures, planting of winter vetch, fodder trees

and shrubs, soil renewal and management in coffee

plantations and orchards, and other practices.

Tropical Zones

In the context of the extreme environmental emergency caused by forest fires affecting the southeastern

part of the country in 1998, a strong emphasis was

placed on sustainable agricultural practices in affected

areas. Major coordination efforts between and within

sectors were deployed to promote crop substitution
72 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

and raise agricultural and forestry productivity. The

goal is to diminish processes that jeopardize natural

resources and the quality of life of rural populations.

In the third quarter of that year, funds were obtained

from Pronare, the regional sustainable development

programs (Proders) and state offices in Campeche,

Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Yucatán to establish

green manure seed cultivation on 548 ha, yielding

395.75 tons of seed and making possible an extension

of the program to 18,000 ha during 1999. Two 

workshops were held in the state of Oaxaca, one to

exchange experiences with green manures in tropical

areas, and the other for extension and training in the

use of these fertilizers.

Sedentarization of slash-and-burn agricultural practices (milpa) was achieved on 13,548 ha of degraded

area using green manures to restore the vegetation

cover.

Intensified livestock production was practised on

10,000 ha through mixed forestry/grazing management regimes, pasture improvement, shade tree and

hedgerow planting and drainage control.

Enhancement of fallowed areas on 20,000 ha with

species of commercial and firewood value.

Under the “Environmental Projects” component of

the ongoing Land Management Program (Programa

de Manejo de Tierras—PMT), producers in marginal

areas were encouraged to apply sustainable practices

on their land. A total of 2,352 projects were developed on 17,594 ha, 64 percent more than in the

previous period, with support from the rural assistance program known as Procampo, Alianza para 

el Campo, the Temporary Employment Program

(Programa de Empleo Temporal), the Fideicomiso de

Riesgos Compartidos (Firco) or federal agricultural

subsidy program, Conacyt and Pronare. In addition,

44 training courses in PMT development were given

to 1,360 technicians.

To provide a reliable technical basis for the 

development of integrated use, improvement, and

sustainability programs for natural resources, eight

soil maps at a scale of 1:1 million were updated 

and printed. These maps illustrate the status of soil

conditions and make for better planning and action

for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and

sustainable use of soils.

Fisheries

The Fishing Fleet Modernization Program (Programa

de Modernización de la Flota Pesquera) reviewed credit

applications for the modernization of 148 boats. 

A total of 134 boats were refurbished while 14 were

replaced. A total of P$67 million was allocated.

The current status of the fisheries sector and the 

modernization program was presented at a meeting

with Asociación de Banqueros de México, A.C., the

Mexican bankers’ association. Potential strategies 

were devised to further the promotion of activities in

support of fisheries development and to maintain

financial assistance programs.

The financial support provided by the development

funds reached approximately P$ 1,096.4 million,

endowing the organizations with a degree of durable

financial health, in keeping with the technical, economic and social development status of the industry.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 73

In terms of private sector support, Ocean Garden, Inc.

provided financial support to the producers by

paying preseason advances for production or surplus

of US$49.1 million, fresh funds surpassing those of

the previous year by 9.8 percent.

Water

During this period, as a result of the CNA’s regularization programs, 156,843 concessions were registered

in the Public Registry of Water Rights (Registro Público

de Derechos de Agua—Repda), surpassing the goal of

63,977 titles by 245 percent.

During this period, a GIS was developed to display

the concession information in Repda by national,

regional, state or municipal zone on a georeferenced

digital map.

P$4,829.5 million was collected in the period 

from September 1998 to August 1999, representing 

111.9 percent of the target (4,314.2 million) for the

period.

2.2 Implementation of Council

Recommendations Developed 

under Article 10(5)(b)

The infrastructure available for hazardous waste management increased by 38 percent over the previous

period, with the number of authorized companies 

rising from 356 to 572. Of the 151 new companies,

18 percent were authorized for recycling, 49 percent

for collection and transportation (including biological/infectious waste), 11 percent for hazardous waste

storage, 11 percent for treatment, nine percent for

incineration and two percent for companies involved

in miscellaneous types of hazardous waste treatment.

As a result of these actions, 27 percent of the total

estimated hazardous waste generation figure is now

under sound management, versus a figure of 12 percent at the beginning of the administration’s term.

Five zones in the country’s northern states and 

one in the central states were identified as likely 

candidates for construction of integrated industrial

waste management systems or centers. Technical 

feasibility work was performed for these sites.

The number of companies registered as waste 

generators in 16 states (Campeche, Colima, Chiapas,

Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán,

Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí,

Sinaloa, Sonora and Tlaxcala) rose by 50 percent.

A meeting was held in San Luis Potosí regarding the

public disclosure of information on biological/

infectious waste generation and the locations of 

management infrastructure for this waste, as well 

as publicity for the proposed amendments to 

NOM-087-ECOL-1995; representatives from the states

of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Zacatecas,

Aguascalientes, Veracruz, Querétaro, Guanajuato and

Jalisco attended. In addition, three technical seminars were held on biological/infectious waste, in

coordination with the Ministry of Health (Secretaría

de Salud) and the service companies. To enlighten

public opinion around the management of this type

of waste, the country’s main print media were invited

to participate in a seminar on the topic.

Regulatory improvement actions showed progress,

with a review of the requirements regarding management procedures for hazardous waste and high-risk

activities, which will be incorporated into the Federal

Registry of Business Procedures (Registro Federal 
74 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

de Trámites Empresariales). The relevant procedure

manuals and public service manuals were completed.

Meanwhile, new manifest and report forms were

designed and are now subject to the approval of

Secofi’s Economic Deregulation Unit (Unidad de

Desregulación Económica) before being published 

in the Official Gazette of the Federation.

A performance evaluation of biological/infectious

waste management companies is now underway. 

Up to June 1999, 86 authorizations were granted for 

management of this waste, and eight incineration

companies are being evaluated for renewal of their

authorizations.

Five technical coordination groups (NTC) were

formed as part of the Mexican Environmental 

Waste Management System (Red Mexicana de Manejo

Ambiental de Residuos) in Sonora, Coahuila, Querétaro,

San Luis Potosí and México, plus one municipal NTC

in Salamanca, Guanajuato. The formation of additional NTCs was initiated in Chihuahua, Nuevo León,

Zacatecas, Puebla, Tabasco and Tamaulipas.

The preliminaries were undertaken for the development of an integrated waste minimization and

management program as a model for the implementation of the state programs in Guanajuato, Sonora,

Coahuila, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. The programs

are formulated in each state by the NTCs, and various

interested stakeholders participate.

In August 1999, an initial forum was held on harmonization and implementation of various manuals

and guides on hazardous waste prevention and 

minimization. There exists a national inventory 

of pollution prevention and waste management 

manuals and guides, as well as a preliminary version

of a handbook on good management practices for 

biological/infectious waste.

Two regional meetings were held in Monterrey and

Guadalajara with representatives of the maquiladora

industry to discuss the procedure for the return of

hazardous waste to its country of origin.

The revision of NOM-052-ECOL-1993 continued. This

standard establishes the characteristics and a listing

of hazardous wastes, as well as toxicity ranges in

which they are considered hazardous to the environment. Also, draft standard NOM-133-ECOL-1998

governing the management of PCBs was approved in

subcommittee, and will now be presented to the

National Advisory Committee on Environmental

Protection Standards (Comité Consultivo Nacional de

Normalización para la Protección Ambiental).

Progress continued on the publication of draft 

standard NOM-124-ECOL-1996 governing service 

stations. In addition, the regulatory impact statements

(a document specifying the purpose and reasoning

behind a standard) for the draft standards on PCBs

and biological/hazardous waste were finalized.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 75

March 1999 saw the publication of the standard

PROY-NOM-041-ECOL-1999, establishing the maximum contaminant limits on gas emissions from the

exhaust systems of motor vehicles using gasoline as

fuel, and draft standard PROY-NOM-042-ECOL-1999,

establishing the maximum contaminant limits 

for in-plant emissions of unburned hydrocarbons,

carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and suspended

particles from the exhaust systems of new motor 

vehicles with gross vehicle weight not exceeding

3,856 kg, as well as evaporative hydrocarbons from

fuel systems using gasoline, LPG, natural gas or diesel.

2.3 Prohibition on Pesticide and Toxic

Substance Exports

Mexico, as a party to the Montreal Protocol on

Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, was the first

country to officially present a national program for

the elimination of ozone-depleting substances,

whereby it committed to establishing accelerated

reduction goals up to the year 2000—different from

those established for developing countries.

The country has outstanding achievements in the

reduction of CFC consumption: from 14,500 tons in

1989 to 2,500 in 1999, or more than 80 percent of

national consumption eliminated. This achievement

Decreases in Consumption (tons/years)

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

14,538 19,420 14,156 9,722 10,402 10,278 4,876 4,927 4,242 3,565 2,500

Source: INE, Semarnap

is primarily due to the attainment of the goals of the

national program and the verification of compliance

with draft standard NOM-EM-125-ECOL-1998 (whose

extension was published in the Official Gazette of 

the Federation on 23 March 1999). This standard

establishes environmental protection specifications

and a ban on CFCs in the manufacture and importation of home freezers and refrigerator-freezers, 

water coolers, potable water coolers/heaters with 

or without refrigerated compartment, commercial 

refrigerators and room air conditioners.

Also during 1999, Profepa participated with various

sectors of society in developing a new draft standard

contemplating a much broader restriction on the

import and use of controlled substances.

The following table shows the decreasing national

consumption trend from 1989, when the Montreal

Protocol was adopted, to 1999.

Of the 12,000 tons eliminated, 8,700 corresponded

to the Mexican government’s commitment to support

domestic industry. In addition, conversion of facilities

for new aerosol and domestic refrigeration production

reached 100 percent, while for commercial refrigeration, the figure was 90 percent.
76 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

Article 3 – Levels of Protection

Revisions of various legal provisions continued in 1999,

in particular, Article 4 of the Constitution, published in

the Official Gazette of the Federation on 28 June 1999.

The revision enshrines the right to a sound environment in the Constitution. It provides the basis of a

comprehensive legal framework for the effective stewardship of the environment and natural resources.

On 29 September 1999, the revised Fisheries Law regulation was published in the Official Gazette of the

Federation. The new wording gives the authorities

more power to verify the legal origin of fish products.

Furthermore, the regulatory framework for this 

activity is reinforced by incorporating guidelines 

to guarantee the punctuality and transparency of the

authority’s actions vis-à-vis citizens. In this spirit, 

it incorporates criteria for rational fisheries use; it

defines the requirements for the granting of concessions, permits and authorizations and the time

periods in which the authority must process an application; and it specifically regulates the granting of

aquaculture concessions, permits and authorizations.

One notable change is to eliminate the discretionality of the fisheries authority’s decisions on applications for concessions, permits and authorizations

under the Fisheries Law (Ley de Pesca).

Analysis and revision of the regulations to the General

Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental

Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la

Protección al Ambiente—LGEEPA) continued in the

areas of air, environmental impact, environmental

auditing, hazardous materials and waste, high-risk

activities and protected natural areas.

In May 1999, Semarnap and the Congress of the

Union devised a strategy for joint action on a wildlife

protection law (a thematic index for the legislative

initiative was approved).

Progress was made on the development of draft

LGEEPA regulations in the areas of environmental

impact assessment, protected natural areas, high-risk

activities and hazardous materials and waste.

Further to the LGEEPA reforms of December 1996,

state congresses were advised on the updating and

adaptation of their environmental legal frameworks.

In particular, the draft environmental laws for Oaxaca,

Puebla, Jalisco, Aguascalientes and the Federal District

were revised, as were the air quality regulations of

Tabasco and the environmental protection regulation

for the municipality of Monterrey, Nuevo León. The

San Luis Potosí, Morelos and Yucatán laws were

revised and published on 15, 22 and 23 December

1999, respectively.

Article 4 – Publication

Particular emphasis was laid on the joint responsibility of civil society to participate in the management

of environmental affairs. Forums for participation

were created, bringing together federal government

entities and offices, local governments, academic and

research institutions and private and civic sector

organizations. These participatory bodies were

enriched by the official participation of representatives of the state legislatures.
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 77

With a view to furthering, expanding and consolidating opportunities for civic participation, the

sustainable development advisory councils, formerly

coordinated solely by Semarnap, changed to a joint

civil-society coordinated structure (with the appointment of an advisor as Technical Secretary of the

National Advisory Council on Sustainable Development (Consejo Consultivo Nacional para el Desarrollo

Sustentable)) and the Technical Secretary of all the

councils was included in the Strengthening Civil

Society program of UNDP-Semarnap.

The evaluation of the collective and individual 

performance of the members of the sustainable development advisory councils was completed, and on this

basis, 50 percent of the representatives from the civic,

private, academic and non-governmental sectors were

unseated. Public calls for candidates were issued in

each region, and each sector elected its own representatives. In this way, the councils’ autonomy was

enhanced, making it possible to decentralize their

operations.

The five sustainable development advisory councils

included, as ongoing items on their agenda, topics

such as environmental education and pollution prevention and control. Moreover, they take part in the

implementation of the sectoral and special programs

of Semarnap.

The following are some of the activities and topics

discussed at the advisory councils:

The national conference on citizen participation in environmental policy, and the launch

of the publication Una experiencia en curso: la

participación social en la Semarnap (An Ongoing

Experiment: Civic Participation in Semarnap)

on 4 June 1999.

Rural and forest fires (workshops, seminars,

work meetings and proposals).

Pronare, rehabilitation and reforestation.

Sustainable agriculture and crop substitution.

Aquaculture and fisheries planning

(workshops, seminars, working meetings 

and proposals).

National consultation on a national 

climate action program.

Central American meeting of the national

sustainable development councils to discuss

the experience of Mexico, held at the invitation of the Earth Council in order to discuss

the Mexican experience with civic participation and establish the regional position for

the Seventh Session of the United Nations

Commission on Sustainable Development

(CSD 7). The technical secretaries of the 

sustainable development councils of 

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,

Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and 

the Dominican Republic attended.
78 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

Discussion began on sustainable development

for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and biosafety.

Workshop on environmental land-use 

planning and linkages.

Technical Commission on Environmental

Education.

In May 1999, the Border Environment

Cooperation Commission (BECC) was 

evaluated, with outstanding results including

more detailed definition of the operations 

of the BECC Advisory Council:

a) functions of its members;

b) term of advisors;

c) election procedures and public 

information;

d) required qualifications of Commission

members.

The mechanisms for the assessment of 

border environmental projects were clarified,

highlighting the importance of local citizen

participation in follow-up to approved 

projects through the formation of civic 

committees.

The Congress of the Union and local congresses 

are a conduit used by organizations and citizens to

achieve various societal goals. Coordination between

Semarnap and the legislative branch has ensured 

that certain environmental issues are addressed. The

Semarnap’s Legislative Branch Liaison Unit (Unidad

de Enlace con el Poder Legislativo—UEPL) streamlines

the Ministry’s access to legislators, increasing the

number of actions vis-à-vis these officials in a 

manner that is organized and coordinated with the

different areas. From January to July 1999, some 

204 such actions took place.

In the context of the meetings of the regional 

sustainable development advisory councils, four 

meetings have been held with federal environmental

legislators; in particular, they have been informed 

of the work to produce a wildlife protection bill.

Semarnap and UNDP are implementing the project

titled “Strengthening Civil Society: Public Policies

and Sustainable Development in Mexico.” The 

project comprises sustainable development activities

in 37 regions of the country, within a framework of

cooperation with civil society organizations, advisory

groups, academic institutions and government agencies at the municipal, state and federal levels. A diverse

range of societal stakeholders with disparate needs,

interests and points of view have thus mobilized. As

well, public officials at the three levels of government

have been sensitized to the need for solutions to 

environmental problems.

These public forums are being used as the settings for

a range of regional diagnostic and planning work,

training events, publicity and liaison activities

between government and various stakeholders.
During 1999, 8,671 inspection visits were conducted

on establishments under federal jurisdiction, 66 of

which resulted in total closing, 79 in partial closing,

6,812 finding minor violations and 1,714 finding

full compliance.

The table below shows the number of inspections

performed in 1998 and 1999, as well as the measures

ordered by the authority as a result of the inspection

visits.

As a result of the signing of various international trade

agreements, the flow of products between Mexico

and the rest of the world has increased. This is

Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 79

Article 5 – Government 

Enforcement Action

The Industrial Inspection Program focuses on comprehensive inspection visits, i.e., inspections with more

complete coverage of the operations of the industrial

and service establishments under federal jurisdiction.

Implementation of this program commenced in 1998.

A set of environmental compliance indicators has

been devised as a fundamental tool for ascertaining

level of compliance by establishments under federal

jurisdiction with their environmental obligations in

areas such as hazardous waste.

Inspection Visits to Industrial Establishments 

Year Number of Total Partial Minor Full 

inspections closing closing violations compliance

1998 9,590 45 107 7,357 2,081

1999 8,671 66 79 6,812 1,714

Total 18,261 111 186 14,169 3,795

Source: Profepa, Office of the Deputy Attorney for Industrial Inspection 

(Subprocuraduría de Verificación Industrial)

Type of Action Percentage of Visits

1998 1999

Temporary total closing 0.47 0.76

Temporary partial closings 1.12 0.91

Minor infractions 76.71 78.56

Total compliance 21.70 19.77

Source: Profepa, Office of the Deputy Attorney for Industrial Inspection 
80 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico

reflected in the international trade in wildlife species,

the control of which has necessitated the implementation of an official inspection program for ports,

airports and borders. The program was implemented

by means of an executive order establishing the classification and codification of goods whose import

and export are subject to regulation by Semarnap.

The authority in charge of enforcing compliance with

the relevant legal provisions has made optimal use

of the human, financial and material resources it has

available for phytosanitary and forestry inspection

as well as the enforcement of CITES flora and fauna

regulations, by locating 60 checkpoints at the international border crossings, ports and airports listed in

the Customs Law (Ley Aduanera) that have the largest

commercial traffic.

The 90 inspectors assigned to this enforcement task

perform inspections of international tourist baggage

and CITES authorizations and certificates for wildlife

specimens, as well as sanitary inspections of forest

products and subproducts. The table below summarizes the results.

The Clean Industry Strategy implemented by the

Mexican government is framed within the environmental regulatory criteria of the standards that

promote the use of clean or environmental control

technologies. Under this program, the institutional

infrastructure was created for the development and

application of mandatory standards, licenses and permits, the application of environmental auditing and

self-regulation agreements.

The first Clean Industry Certificates were granted 

in 1997. Their main objectives are: a) to protect the 

environment and promote the development of a 

corporate environmental culture; b) to distinguish

companies that have, through environmental auditing and by following through on their action plans,

voluntarily accepted the responsibility to protect their

employees, their neighbors and the environment; and

c) to inculcate in consumers the habit of purchasing

products made by companies that demonstrate an

acceptable record of environmental stewardship.

Number 

of Inspections 1996 1997 1998 1999 Total

International tourists 10,503 52,920 34,905 108,284 206,612

Forest products and 12,629 62,182 47,694 82,084 204,589

subproducts 

CITES authorizations 4,977 4,005 2,532 5,624 17,138

and certificates

Administrative 0 0 1,163 3,678 4,841

procedures at ports, 

airports and borders

Source: Office of Deputy Attorney for Natural Resources 

(Subprocuraduría de Recursos Naturales), Profepa
Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 81

Thanks to the National Environmental Auditing

Program, a novel voluntary compliance instrument

in the area of environment affairs, some 294 environmental audits were undertaken. Sixty-six of these

involved renewal of a Clean Industry Certificate while

176 were completed in various industries. Of particular

importance in the quasi-governmental sector were

the audits of Pemex and Aeropuertos y Servicios

Auxiliares (ASA) facilities.

Since the program’s inception in 1992, a total of 1,345

environmental audits have been undertaken, 1,208 

of them completed and 137 still in progress. It is 

noteworthy that all the large quasi-governmental 

corporations, including Pemex, ASA, CFE and

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, are participating

in the program.

The completed audits have given rise to the signing 

of numerous action plans aiming to correct the 

deficiencies detected. These plans commit the corresponding companies to make environmental protection

investments worth a total of P$1,914.5 million, for a

cumulative investment of P$10,286.9 million since 

the program’s inception.

The existing directory of environmental auditors was

improved by implementing an approval and certification system for experts and auditors—the persons

directly responsible for planning and carrying out

environmental audits. The purpose of this initiative

is to guarantee the quality of environmental audits,The

certification committee is composed of representatives

of the associations of civil engineers, environmental

engineers, mechanical/electrical engineers, chemical

engineers, biologists and geologists, as well as UNAM,

the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, the Universidad

Autónoma Metropolitana, the Centro de Estudios del

Sector Privado para el Desarrollo Sustentable and the

Mexican Academy of Environmental Auditing. So

far, some 140 professionals from a range of disciplines

have been certified as environmental auditors.

An ongoing environmental auditor training program

has the goal of providing training and professional

development for the persons who perform and supervise environmental audits, as well as to disseminate

and teach environmental auditing techniques. As a

result, Mexico now has a corps of highly qualified

specialists capable of resolving the typical problems

encountered in this field; they apply various analysis

tools which, it should be noted, help to minimize risks

and adverse effects on people and the environment.As

part of this program, thirteen courses on environmental auditing have been given to 777 professionals

at the three levels of government as well as private

organizations and companies.
82

Article 6 – Private Access 

to Remedies

In the modern day, societies base their development

on various modes of civic participation in political

and administrative processes. To instill a culture that

is conducive to environmental conservation, it is

important to include actions that involve the population in the defense of the environment. Civic

participation in decision making and environmental

policy implementation and assessment is essential 

in legitimizing such decisions and policies in the 

public mind, rendering their implementation more

straightforward. With the enactment of the LGEEPA,

new opportunities opened up for civic participation

in environmental policymaking, the application 

of policy instruments and in information and 

monitoring activities.

Citizen petitions in particular are an important

means for society and the authorities to take note 

of the most significant environmental problems 

and to devise preventive and corrective strategies and

actions. By filing a citizen petition, an individual can

inform the environmental authorities of facts, acts

or omissions that cause or may cause ecological

imbalance, environmental damage or damage to 

natural resources, or that violate provisions of environmental law. The purpose is to ensure that the

necessary investigations are carried out, steps are

taken to avert damage, and the damaged ecosystems

are rehabilitated insofar as possible. It has been

observed that in addition to their increasing participation in addressing environmental problems,

petitioners have begun to take a greater interest in

the actions of the authorities and their results.

During the period covered by this report, Profepa

received 5,227 petitions from around the country, 

a 15 percent increase over the previous period. 

Of this total, 4,359 (83.4 percent) were addressed,

while 868 (16.6 percent) were still being processed,

for an increase of nearly 17 percent in response 

to citizen petitions.

It is important to note that response to petitions and

complaints constitutes a core component of Profepa’s

inspection and enforcement programs and activities

in regard to industrial and service establishments as

well as to the users of the country’s natural resources.

The petitions received may be classified by affected

resource as follows: alleged damage to wildlife – 1,060

(20.2 percent); forest resources – 986 (18.8 percent),

air pollution – 976 (18.7 percent); flora – 943 (18 percent); soil contamination – 644 (12.3 percent); water

pollution – 296 (5.7 percent); fisheries – 100 (2 percent); alleged violations of provisions governing the

use of the Federal Coastal Zone – 87 (1.7 percent);

violations of land-use plans or environmental impact

restrictions – 51 (1 percent); noise pollution – 

46 (0.9 percent); environmental impact – 28 (0.5 percent); complaints about the actions of public servants

– 10 (0.2 percent).

[ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: Mexico
83

Article 7 – Procedural Guarantees

Domestic legislation offers the procedural guarantees

required by Article 7 of the NAAEC. Although there

were no legislative amendments in 1999 that influenced those guarantees, the 1996 LGEEPA reforms

made it possible for persons who file appeals for review

(recurso de revisión) to appear before the competent tribunals for the review of decisions of the administrative

authority that initially heard the appeal.

It is currently possible for all natural and legal

persons to intervene in legal actions even where they

are not directly affected by an act of authority, as long

as they have a general interest with regard to the act.

The administrative and legal channels available to

persons in the area of environment include citizen

petitions, administrative remedies, actions in nullity

(juicio de nulidad) and direct and indirect amparo

actions (juicio de amparo), a summary proceeding

which serves to guarantee constitutional rights.

Country Reports: Mexico [ Annual Report 1999 ] 
United

States

84 [ Annual Report 1999 ]

Article 2 – General Commitments

Article 2(1)(a) State of the Environment

Reports

Turning to the Sea: America’s Ocean Future. At the

1998 National Ocean Conference in Monterey,

California, President Bill Clinton directed his cabinet

to report back with recommendations for a comprehensive ocean policy to guide US federal efforts 

in the 21st century. In a report entitled Turning 

to the Sea: American’s Ocean Future and presented 

2 September 1999 to Vice President Al Gore, the cabinet recommended nearly 150 actions in 25 key areas

to protect, restore and explore America’s ocean

resources. In response, the vice president announced

the appointment of a new high-level Oceans Report

Task Force that would oversee implementation of the

cabinet’s recommendations. Specifically, it would prioritize the recommendations, appoint lead agencies

for implementation of key recommendations and

meet quarterly to review progress. The task force 

will be co-chaired by the head of the Council on

Environmental Quality and the deputy national security advisor and will include high-level representatives

of federal agencies with responsibility for ocean affairs.

Transboundary Waters. The US-Canada International

Joint Commission (IJC) assists the United States 

and Canada with monitoring and reporting on 

the state of transboundary waters. This IJC state 

of the environment work is carried out under auspices

of the IJC Secretariat with the assistance of many

experts from the federal, provincial and state governments along the extensive border. In August 1999, 

the United States released its response to the IJC’s 

9th Biennial Report Recommendations on Great

Lakes Water Quality, which is available online

<http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/glwqa/ijc9th/index.html>.

Biological Resources. In 1999, the Department of

Interior’s (DOI) US Geological Survey published 

The Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources,

which details the first large-scale assessment of the

health, status and trends of the nation’s plains, animals and ecosystems. Produced with contributions

from nearly 200 experts from the federal government

Country Report on

Implementation of the

Commitments Derived 

from the NAAEC

The following report 

was submitted to the 

CEC Secretariat by 

the US Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) in 

accordance with NAAEC.
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 85

and from the academic and nongovernmental communities, the report synthesizes current information

with a historical perspective of ecosystems across the

country to measure and explain how the nation’s

resources are changing. 

Acid Rain. In November 1999, the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) released its Progress Report

on the EPA Acid Rain Program <http://www.epa.gov/

airmarkets/arp>. The overall goal of the Acid Rain

Program is to achieve significant environmental 

and public health benefits through reductions in

emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides

(NOx), the primary causes of acid rain. To achieve 

this goal at the lowest cost to society, the program

employs both traditional and innovative marketbased approaches for controlling air pollution. In

addition, the program encourages energy efficiency

and pollution prevention.

Article 2(1)(b) Environmental Emergency

Preparedness

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). In April 1999, 

EPA published the 1997 TRI Public Data Release. 

The aggregate on-site and off-site releases for the more

than 640 chemicals and chemical categories equaled 

0.96 billion kilograms (kg). Of this total, 51.7 percent

of the releases went to air, and 17.9 percent was

released at off-site locations. Reporting facilities managed 8.5 billion kg in production-related waste on-site

and transferred 1.5 billion kg off-site for further waste

management. Production-related waste therefore

totaled 10 billion kg.

Overall, the 1997 TRI data revealed ongoing reductions

in the releases of chemicals reported to TRI. Between

1995 and 1997, on- and off-site releases declined by

1.5 percent or 17.6 million kg. Releases on-site

declined 8.2 percent (85.2 million kg). Air releases,

which were greater than the total on-site and off-site

releases, declined by 15.7 percent (112.3 million kg).

However, on-site releases to water and land and 

off-site transfers for disposal partly offset the air 

reductions. Water releases increased by 24.2 percent

(19.3 million kg), and on-site land disposal increased

by 9.9 percent (14.2 million kg). Off-site transfers 

for disposal significantly increased between 1995

and 1997, with most of the increase occurring

between 1996 and 1997. The increase—47.7 percent 

(67.6 million kg)—stemmed in part from a change in

the waste management of zinc compounds. Facilities

that had formerly sent their zinc compounds off-site

for recycling changed to off-site transfers for disposal

after the recycling facility increased its fees. 

Seven new industrial sectors began submitting their

TRI reports to EPA for the 1998 reporting year; with

data scheduled for publication in the spring of 2000.

The new sectors are: metal mining; coal mining; 

electricity-generating facilities that burn coal, oil or

both; RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act) Subtitle C hazardous waste and treatment facilities; solvent recovery services; chemical and allied

products wholesale distributors; and petroleum bulk

plants and terminals. With the availability of these

new data, members of the public will learn more

about the sources of toxic chemicals in their communities. The addition of these new industry sectors

increases the comparability between the TRI and 

the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory

(NPRI), which already collects Pollution Release 

and Transfer Registry (PRTR) data from most these

sectors. Indeed, increasing comparability is one of

the primary objectives of the CEC’s PRTR work. 
86 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

In addition to expanding reporting to encompass new

facility sectors, EPA also expanded public access to

information on chemicals. In 1999, EPA published a

final rule that lowered the reporting threshold for

chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and

toxic. The action lowered the threshold for certain

chemicals already on the TRI list of chemicals and

added nine chemicals to the TRI list at lowered reporting thresholds. These reports, due to EPA in July 2001,

will be published with their data in the spring of 2002.

Hazardous Chemicals. In 1999, EPA initiated the

Accidental Release Information Program (ARIP),

which collects information on accidental releases of

hazardous chemicals at fixed facilities. The ARIP questionnaire consists of 23 questions about the facility,

the circumstances and causes of the incident, the accidental release prevention practices and technologies

in place prior to, and added or changed as a result of,

the event. The questionnaire focuses on several areas

of accident prevention, including hazard assessments,

training, emergency response, public notification procedures, mitigation techniques and prevention

equipment and controls. The purpose of ARIP is to

collect questionnaire information from facilities that

have had significant releases of hazardous substances,

developing a national accidental release database.

Investigators will then analyze the collected information and disseminate the results to persons

involved in chemical accident prevention activities.

ARIP also helps to focus industry’s attention on the

causes of accidental releases and how to prevent them. 

Supporting Minor Crops and Public Health

Pesticides. The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)

called on EPA to develop a new approach to managing minor crop and public health pesticides. In

response, during 1998 EPA’s Office of Pollution

Prevention (OPP) appointed a full-time minor use

crop coordinator and an OPP public health coordinator, supported by a Minor Use Team and a Public

Health Steering Committee. The teams share common

members and coordinate activities with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS). The primary goals

of the Minor Use Team and Public Health Steering

Committee are to:

provide growers and public health program

administrators with an opportunity to discuss

their needs and concerns with EPA before the

agency finalizes regulatory actions;

work with USDA, industry, growers, public

health agencies and other stakeholders 

to promote the registration and use of

reduced-risk pesticides for minor uses; and

encourage development and submission of

“real world” pesticide use, usage and residue

data by growers, public health agencies, USDA

and other stakeholders for use in refined risk

assessments.

Focusing on Public Health Pesticides. During 1998

and 1999, EPA continued its efforts to coordinate with

USDA and HHS on the regulation of pesticides with

public health uses, such as mosquito and cockroach

control. For pesticides that have both food and public

health uses, FQPA requires that the agency consider

exposure from the public health use when conducting

an aggregate exposure assessment. FQPA defines public health pesticides as any minor-use pesticide product

utilized predominantly in public health programs 

for vector control or other recognized public health

protection purposes. Public health pesticides are
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 87

afforded the same considerations as other minor-use

pesticides, such as priority review and the waiving of

some of the fees associated with registration. As with

pesticide registrations in general, EPA is seeking lowrisk alternatives to traditional public health pesticides.

Weather Forecasting. In June 1999, the final

Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System

(AWIPS) baseline system to be installed was made

operational in June 1999. The installation of AWIPS,

an interactive weather computer and communications system intended to provide better weather and

flood-related services to the country, completes 

a decade-long effort to revamp weather services, and

it has significantly improved weather forecasting.

Marine Spills. In 1999, the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) responded to

calls for scientific assistance for more than 120 incidents, including spills of toxics into the nation’s

coastal waters (60 percent oil-related, 28 percent

chemical-related and 12 percent other) and the crash

of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s private plane.

Wildfire Hazards. Using its greater understanding of

how fire shapes and maintains healthy ecosystems

and prevents natural disasters of uncontrollable wildfires, the Department of Interior treated 335,020

hectares with controlled burns as part of its land 

management mission—an increase of more than 

100 percent since 1993. 

Risk Assessments. To improve America’s national

preparedness for natural hazards, DOI’s US Geological

Survey (USGS) developed 16 risk assessments, exceeding the target goal. These assessments included fault

structure and earthquake potential in the Puget Sound,

bridge scour processes and updated assessments of

national landslide susceptibility. 

Article 2(1)(c) Environmental Education

Chemical Awareness. In 1999, EPA published the

pamphlet Chemicals in Your Community, which summarizes the chemical information citizens can obtain

under the Emergency Planning and Community

Right-to-know Act (EPCRA) and the Clean Air Act’s

(CAA) chemical accident prevention provisions. The

pamphlet informs readers where to find this and other

helpful information and indicates how they can 

use the various sources of information to compose 

a snapshot of the chemicals stored and released in

their community. The document is available online

<http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/p_gen.htm>. 

Marine Education. In March 1999, NOAA participated

in the annual National Science Teachers Association

(NSTA) annual convention and exhibit in Boston,

where it provided approximately 15,000 science teachers with scientific and environmental information

about the oceans, climate change and the atmosphere.

NOAA also participated in the NSTA exhibit and 

provided speakers for program presentations. 

Weather Exhibits. In October, NOAA provided 

the 2,000 science museum administrators, exhibit 

designers and science writers attending the annual

convention of the Association of Science-Technology

Centers in Tampa, Florida, with weather information.

This exhibit was designed to encourage science 

museums to incorporate weather information and

technology into their floor displays.
88 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

Hurricane Awareness. NOAA hurricane experts conducted hurricane awareness tours in Central America,

in the Caribbean, and on the East and Gulf Coasts 

of the United States to promote outreach, public education and teamwork for the 1999 hurricane season.

Tours in Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic,

Puerto Rico and Cuba played an important role in

the exchange of information on the international

capabilities, procedures and technologies used to 

forecast hurricanes.

Article 2(1)(d) Scientific Research and

Technology Development

New Partnerships with the Office of Science

Coordination and Policy (OSCP). During 1999, EPA’s

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) 

collaborated with its Office of Science Coordination

and Policy (OSCP), a new organization within the

Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances

(OPPTS). Established in January 1999, the new office

is seeking to coordinate the development and implementation of cross-cutting science policies and

programs that underpin EPA’s toxic chemical and pesticide programs. In doing so, OSCP is helping OPPT

to identify and incorporate the latest scientific and

technological information into its risk assessment

and regulatory decisions. 

Using Additional 10-Fold Safety Factor. In May

1999, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) 

submitted to the FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,

and Rodenticide Act) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP)

for review its draft policy and operational practices

for making decisions on the 10-fold safety factor

required by the Food Quality Protection Act to 

protect infants and children. The policy was released

in July 1999 for public review and comment based

on the process established in conjunction with the

Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee. FQPA

requires that each pesticide tolerance be protective

of infants and children, and that EPA use an appropriate safety factor during risk assessment to account

for their special sensitivities.

Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP).

Since receiving the statutory authority, EPA has

moved quickly to set up a screening program that can

be used to gather data on the endocrine-disrupting

potential of pesticides and other chemicals. On 

28 December 1998, EPA published in the Federal

Register a proposal for an Endocrine Disruptor

Screening Program (EDSP), which it is beginning to

implement.

Marine Sanctuaries. In 1999, NOAA, in partnership

with the National Geographic Society, launched a

first-of-its-kind exploration of the nation’s 12 marine

sanctuaries. The Sustainable Seas Expeditions (SSE)

utilize sophisticated new submersible technology to

explore the ocean and learn how best to protect it.

SSE will travel to ocean depths between 30 and 

600 meters. The goals of this project include undersea

exploration, scientific research and public education

and outreach.

Water Resource Monitoring. DOI’s US Geological

Survey monitored the status of and the trends in

quantity and quality of water resources through more

than 45,000 monitoring stations. In addition, USGS

developed new decision support systems designed to

help natural resource managers make hard choices

on the basis of hard science, yielding predictions

based on quantitative data about natural resources 

or the environment and specific options for land and

resource management. 
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 89

Watershed Hydrology. EPA’s Center for Exposure

Assessment Modeling introduced the Hydrological

Simulation Program—FORTRAN (HSPF), a comprehensive package for simulation of watershed

hydrology and water quality for both conventional

and toxic organic pollutants. HSPF is the only comprehensive model of watershed hydrology and water

quality that allows the integrated simulation of land

and soil contaminant runoff processes with instream

hydraulic and sediment-chemical interactions. The

result of this simulation is a time history of the runoff

flow rate, sediment load and nutrient and pesticide

concentrations, along with a time history of water

quantity and quality at any point in a watershed.

HSPF simulates three sediment types (sand, silt and

clay) in addition to a single organic chemical and

transformation products of that chemical.

Modeling Air Pollutants. Through NOAA’s

Atmospheric Sciences Modeling Division, the EPA

released in 1999 a document entitled Science

Algorithms of the EPA Models-3 Community Multiscale

Air Quality (CMAQ) Modeling System, along with the

second version of the modeling system software.

Models-3/CMAQ is a computer-based system that 

can simultaneously simulate the transport, physical

transformation and chemical reactions of multiple

pollutants across large geographic regions. The modeling system is useful to states and other government

agencies for making regulatory decisions on air 

quality and to research scientists for performing

atmospheric research. The document is available

online at <http://www.epa.gov/asmdnerl/models3/

CMAQ/index.html>. 

Article 2(1)(e) Environmental Impacts

Coastal Management. In 1999, Minnesota became

the 33d of 35 eligible states and territories to join the

national Coastal Zone Management program. This

federal-state partnership strives to create better 

planning for resource protection and economic development along the nation’s coasts.

With the addition of three new National Estuarine

Research Reserves (NERRs)—Guana-TolomatoMatanzas, Florida; Grand Bay, Mississippi; and

Kachemak Bay, Alaska—the number of sites in this federal-state partnership rises to 25 and the amount of

land set aside for protection, research, monitoring and

education doubles—to more than 400,000 hectares.

Pesticide Spray Drift. EPA’s Office of Pesticide

Programs made significant progress during the last

two years toward gaining a more comprehensive

understanding of the science of pesticide spray drift

and improving its ability to predict spray drift and

the associated potential risks under a wide array 

of agricultural applications and weather conditions.

OPP completed its assessment of the results of spray

drift studies submitted by the registrants’ Spray Drift

Task Force and cooperated with EPA’s Office of

Research and Development and the task force to

develop predictive modeling for its risk assessment

and management responsibilities for pesticides. These

new data will enable OPP to better understand the

risks from spray drift and to make more informed

decisions on how applicators can control spray drift. 
90 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

Preventing Pesticides in the Environment through

Container and Containment Standards and Support

of Collection Programs. EPA’s Office of Pesticide

Programs continued to develop final regulations for

pesticide container standards and containment areas.

Although the regulations do not specifically address

disposal of unwanted pesticides, OPP continues 

to support the states’ efforts. They have taken the 

initiative in collecting and disposing of unwanted

pesticides to prevent these products from winding up

in ditches, streams and groundwater. These efforts,

known as the Clean Sweep Programs, play an important role in preventing pollution. They are supported,

as funding allows, by EPA regional offices through

grants and technical assistance.

Reducing Risks to Children and Workers from

Organophosphate Pesticides. EPA’s Office of Pesticide

Programs required changes in the uses of two

organophosphate pesticides—methyl parathion 

and azinphos methyl—to reduce the risks posed 

to children and workers. EPA is banning the use of

methyl parathion on many fruit and vegetable crops

and is requiring changes to use patterns for azinphos

methyl to reduce risks from food. The agency is

increasing worker protection by, for example, eliminating certain application methods and requiring

longer intervals after application before workers can

enter treated areas.

Endangered Species. Under the Endangered Species

Act, NOAA has completed status reviews and has

placed 26 West Coast salmon populations on the

endangered list. Eight additional populations are also

being considered for inclusion on the list. In addition, NOAA has devoted extensive resources to

Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations to

keep pace with the multitude of federal activities that

may affect listed salmon populations. Almost 500

consultations were completed in FY 1999, and the

number is expected to double in FY 2001.

NOAA has continued to develop and implement

recovery plans and take-reduction plans for protected

species. For example, NOAA published a take-reduction

plan for marine mammals in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.

A take-reduction plan for the Gulf of Maine harbor

porpoise was published early in FY 1999. In the eastern North Pacific, NOAA monitored the delisted gray

whale population to ensure its continued recovery.

In FY 1999, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listed

46 species under the Endangered Species Act. FWS

delisted the American peregrine falcon (recovered) and

a cactus and published proposed rules to delist the bald

eagle, Aleutian Canada goose and four other species.

It also published three final critical habitat designations and finalized 14 recovery plans for 69 species.

Elsewhere, FWS refined the Habitat Conservation Plan

(HCP) process and made this information available

to the public through an HCP handbook. HCPs allow

private landowners to develop land that supports

listed species, provided they undertake conservation

measures. HCPs covering 200 listed species and

520,000 hectares were completed through FY 1999.

NOAA continues to engage state, local and private

entities in the ever-expanding arena of salmon conservation planning and the development of HCPs.

Five HCPs have been approved. In addition, a new

policy initiative, the 5-Point Plan, issued in March

1999, focuses on the expanded use and integration

of five conservation tools, some of which are already

components of the HCP program. They are: monitoring, adaptive management, measurable biological

goals, permit duration and public participation. 
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 91

Agencies also continued to provide landowners with

incentives to protect species. In 1999, $5 million

was appropriated for the new Endangered Species

Act Landowner Incentive Program. Twenty-two 

projects (out of 145 proposals received from the

regions) were initiated with these funds, allowing

private landowners to take voluntary conservation

measures on their property.

The Final Safe Harbor Policy was published in June

1999. Safe Harbor agreements assure landowners 

who implement conservation measures for listed

species that their actions will not result in additional

restrictions. By FY 1999, 42 Safe Harbor agreements

were in place, encompassing more than 400,000

hectares nationwide. Unlisted species are addressed

by the Candidate Conservation Agreements with

Assurances Policy, which was approved in June 1999.

It provides incentives for nonfederal property 

owners to conserve candidate species, thus potentially making listing unnecessary. To date, FWS 

has implemented 70 such agreements to protect 

78 candidate species.

River Restoration. The Department of the Interior

continued its work to restore rivers to a more natural

state. Department secretary Bruce Babbitt helped 

to breach the 160-year-old Edwards Dam on the

Kennebec River in Maine and the Raines Dam in

North Carolina. Agreements also were reached to

remove eventually the 38-meter-high Condit Dam in

Washington and five more dams on the Sacramento

River in California.

Article 2(1)(f) Economic Instruments 

Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act. In 1999,

the EPA published Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air

Act: Final Report to Congress on Benefits and Costs of the

Clean Air Act, 1990 to 2010. According to the report,

the economic value of the public health and environmental benefits that Americans enjoy from the

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 exceeds their

costs by a margin of four to one. The report projects

that the Clean Air Act Amendments and their associated programs will prevent thousands of premature

deaths related to air pollution and millions of asthma

attacks and have a wide range of additional human

health and ecological effects.

Using a sophisticated array of computer models and

the latest emissions and cost data, the study projects

that in the year 2010 the amendments of 1990 will

prevent 23,000 premature deaths and avert over 

1.7 million incidences of asthma attacks and aggravation of chronic asthma. In addition, in 2010 they

will prevent 67,000 incidences of chronic and acute

bronchitis, 91,000 occurrences of shortness of breath,

4.1 million lost work-days and 31 million days in

which Americans would have had to restrict activity

because of air pollution-related illness. In addition,

it finds that 22,000 respiratory-related hospital 

admissions would be averted, as well as 42,000 cardiovascular (heart and blood) hospital admissions

and 4,800 emergency room visits for asthma. 

The report, the most comprehensive and extensive

assessment of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

ever conducted, was the subject of extensive peer

review. Independent panels of distinguished economists, scientists and public health experts provided
92 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

in-depth assessment and advice throughout the

study’s design, implementation and documentation.

For those health and ecological benefits that can be

quantified and converted to dollar values, EPA’s best

estimate is that in 2010 the benefits of Clean Air Act

programs will total about $110 billion. This estimate

represents the cost saving in increased illness and 

premature death avoided by adoption of the clean

air standards and the provisions required by the

amendments. The detailed cost analysis conducted

for this study indicates that the costs of achieving

these health and ecological benefits are likely to be

only about $27 billion, a fraction of the economic

value of the benefits. 

Park Fees. For decades, protected natural areas gave

up the revenues collected at entrance gates and paid

for other services, depending on Congress to meet

their funding needs. Since 1996, however, and the

introduction of the Recreational Fee Demonstration

Program by Congress, demonstration sites in the

nation’s parks, refuges and forests have kept 100 percent of the fees they collect. As of 1999, the 100

National Park Service demonstration projects, 87 Fish

and Wildlife Service projects, and 100 Bureau of Land

Management projects were collecting $149.0 million

in revenues. The new entrance fees at the demonstration sites may be substantially higher, but visitors

have not been deterred. Public acceptance of the fee

program is high, because visitors see exactly how that

money is spent. 

Article 3 – Levels of Protection

In 1999, the United States proposed and finalized 

several rules designed to increase environmental protection. The same year the president issued executive

orders addressing specific environmental concerns,

and the United States engaged in international negotiations for similar purposes. The rest of this section

summarizes information on these and other actions

taken by the United States to maintain and increase

national levels of environmental protection.

Clean Air. In December 1999, EPA put the final

touches to, and President Clinton announced, new

tailpipe emission standards and new clean gasoline

regulations for all passenger vehicles, including sport

utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks. For the first

time, SUVs and pickup trucks will have to meet the

same stringent emissions standards as other passenger

vehicles. Moreover, passenger vehicles and gasoline

will be treated as a single system working to achieve

cleaner air. These new standards will begin to take

effect in 2004. 

In May 1999, EPA issued final regulations for 14 industries that are expected to reduce air toxic emissions

by nearly 36,300 metric tons annually. Air toxics are

compounds known or suspected of causing cancer

and other serious human health effects such as respiratory illness, nervous system impairment and

reproductive and growth problems. Besides toxics,

the rules will reduce levels of respiratory pollutants;

ground-level ozone (or smog) emissions will decrease

by almost 63,500 metric tons a year and particulates

(dust, dirt, soot, smoke) by 5,450 metric tons annually. In addition, oil production facilities and natural

gas production, transmission and storage facilities

must cut levels of the potent global warming gas

methane by 7,250 metric tons a year. These rules are

a part of a series of air toxics regulations EPA has

developed and issued under the authority of the Clean

Air Act Amendments of 1990. They are expected to

lower toxic emissions from large existing and new

facilities in the following industries: steel pickling;

polyether polyol production; oil and natural gas 
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 93

production; natural gas transmission and storage; 

pesticide active ingredient production; mineral wool

production; portland cement manufacture; wool

fiberglass manufacture; ferroalloy production; primary lead smelters; and the production of acetal

resins, acrylic and modacrylic fiber, hydrogen fluoride,

and polycarbonate. The rules for 29 other industries

that have already been issued have resulted in reductions in air toxics of at least 500,000 metric tons a year. 

In September 1999, EPA finalized stringent nationwide

emission standards for hazardous waste combustors

(HWCs): incinerators, cement kilns, and lightweight

aggregate kilns burning hazardous waste. The rule will

result in lower releases of many hazardous pollutants.

Specifically, dioxin and furan emissions at HWC facilities may be reduced by 70 percent and metals

emissions may be reduced by up to 86 percent. These

standards, combined with previous measures to control

air toxics from sources such as medical incinerators

and municipal combustors, should reduce total emissions of dioxin by 95 percent, emissions of mercury

by 80 percent and emissions of lead and cadmium by

83 percent. EPA issued this rule under the joint authority of the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation

and Recovery Act. 

As mentioned above, EPA issued in 1999 the results

of a study demonstrating that the economic benefits

to public health and the environment from the 1990

Clean Air Act Amendments exceeded their costs by

a margin of four to one and will prevent 23,000 premature deaths and avert over 1.7 million incidences

of asthma attacks and aggravation of chronic asthma.

The study report, entitled Benefits and Costs of the

Clean Air Act: Final Report to Congress on Benefits and

Costs of the Clean Air Act, 1990 to 2010, was issued

under Section 812 of the Clean Air Act Amendments,

which requires EPA to periodically assess the effect of

the Clean Air Act on the public health, economy 

and environment of the country. The report can be

accessed online <http://www.epa.gov/oar/sect812>.

Also in 1999, EPA issued a new Air Quality Index to

provide the public with critical information on the

health precautions to take on days when air pollution

levels threaten its health. The new index provides a

uniform format nationwide and, for the first time,

includes new health messages for sensitive groups,

such as children with asthma. It is intended to be used

by local weather forecasters throughout the country.

Clean Water. On 17 August 1999, President Clinton

signed the Water Resources Development Act, which

authorized the allocation of $6.3 billion to the US

Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, navigation, shore protection and environmental restoration

projects. The act authorizes $200 million over five

years beginning in 2001 for the Challenge 21 program.

Challenge 21, a pilot program for nonstructural flood

control and riverine restoration, was part of the president’s Clean Water Action Plan and budget initiative.

A three-page summary of the act, prepared by the

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,

and the conference report are available online

<http://www.house.gov/transportation/ index.html>.

The Department of Agriculture and the Department

of the Interior released in 1999 to Congress, tribes,

states and interested stakeholders a draft Unified

Federal Policy for Ensuring a Watershed Approach to

Federal Land and Resource Management. The proposed policy, a key action of the president’s Clean

Water Action Plan, had two primary goals: to use a

watershed approach to prevent and reduce water 

pollution resulting from federal land and resource

management activities and to accomplish that goal

in a unified and cost-effective manner.
94 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

In September 1999, EPA proposed significantly reducing direct discharges of the most toxic chemicals into

the Great Lakes in an effort to protect public health

and help restore the Great Lakes. The chemicals,

referred to as bioaccumulative chemicals of concern

(BCCs), include mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls

(PCBs), dioxin, chlordane, dichlordiphenyltrichlor

(DDT) and mirex. Specifically, EPA proposed to phase

out the discharges of BCCs into the “mixing zones”—

that is, the areas of the Lakes where discharges of toxic

chemicals are allowed to mix with receiving waters

and dilute. The proposal prohibits new discharges of

BCCs into mixing zones in the Great Lakes Basin and

would phase out the use of existing mixing zones for

BCCs in the Great Lakes Basin over 10 years. It is anticipated that the proposal would reduce mercury from

direct water discharges, such as outfall pipes, into the

Great Lakes by up to 90 percent.

Also in 1999, EPA published final guidelines for certifying operators who manage drinking water systems.

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996

require EPA, in cooperation with the states, to publish guidelines that specify minimum standards that

operators of community water systems (those that

serve at least 25 people year-round) and nontransient,

noncommunity water systems (those that serve at

least 25 people for six months of the year such as

schools, churches and factories) must meet to be certified and recertified to operate those water systems.

The final guidelines provide states with the minimum

standards for the development, implementation and

enforcement of operator certification programs for

these community and nontransient, noncommunity

public water systems.

Response Activities. In 1999, EPA awarded over 

$32 million in grants to help more than 70 communities across the nation clean up and redevelop

brownfields (abandoned, contaminated properties,

often found in distressed areas) and return them to

centers of prosperity. Through the Brownfields Cleanup

Revolving Loan Fund, 45 grants totaling $30.6 million

were awarded to help 65 communities across the

nation leverage funding to clean up and redevelop

abandoned industrial properties. With these grants,

communities will be able to set up revolving loan

funds that provide low-interest loans to businesses

and others so that they can turn brownfields back to

productive use. In the area of training, $1.9 million

in Job Training Grants was awarded to 10 communities to train nearly 600 residents in environmental

cleanup techniques. Such training will allow them to

find well-paying jobs and will further the cleanup of

brownfields across the nation. 

Pesticides. On 4 November 1999, EPA issued a final

policy statement on establishing a category for 

persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) new

chemical substances (64 FR 60194). The policy statement established the parameters for what is to be

considered a PBT chemical under the Toxic Substances

Control Act (TSCA) and was particularly significant

because it was the first formal statement of national

policy on the new chemical persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The policy statement provides guidance

criteria for persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity

for new chemicals and advises the industry about

EPA’s regulatory approach to chemicals meeting the

criteria. PBT chemicals are priority pollutants because

they do not break down quickly and remain in the

environment for long periods. They bioaccumulate,

or build up, in the food chain and are known to cause

a variety of health hazards at low doses, including

reproductive disorders and cancer.
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 95

International Trade and the Environment. On 

16 November 1999, President Clinton signed Executive

Order 13141 on Environmental Review of Trade

Agreements aimed at reinforcing the US commitment

to a “policy of careful assessment and consideration

of the environmental impacts of trade agreements.”

The executive order states that “trade agreements

should contribute to the broader goal of sustainable

development” and calls for environmental reviews 

of the following types of agreements: comprehensive

multilateral trade rounds; bilateral or multilateral free

trade agreements; and major new trade liberalization

agreements in natural resource sectors. 

Stratospheric Ozone Protection. In 1999, the 

United States and India finalized a Memorandum 

of Understanding to engage in cooperative efforts to

address greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement is

expected to result in joint projects between the United

States and India pursuant to the clean development

mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. This mechanism

allows a developing nation to accept financing from

a developed nation in order to implement projects that

will result in reduced emissions. The financing state is

then able to claim part of the emission reductions. 

Enforcement. FY 1999 was a record-setting year for

EPA enforcement actions and penalties, including 

$3.6 billion for environmental cleanup, pollution 

control equipment and improved monitoring, an 

80 percent increase over 1998; $166.7 million in civil

penalties, 60 percent higher than in 1998; and 

3,935 civil judicial and administrative actions, the

highest in the last three years. During FY 1999, EPA

settled the largest Clean Air Act case in history against

seven diesel engine manufacturers whose products,

the government alleged, produced millions of tons of

excess emissions of nitrogen oxide, a contributor 

to smog. Under the settlement, the companies will

spend over $800 million on producing cleaner engines

and pay an $83 million penalty. Also during FY 1999,

the agency settled the largest civil complaint under the

Resource Conservation Recovery Act. The settlement

with the FMC Corporation included an $11.8 million

civil penalty and an estimated $170 million earmarked

for closing hazardous waste-containing ponds and 

significantly reducing toxic gas emissions. 

In addition to its formal enforcement activities, EPA

continued to expand its use of incentives to achieve

industry compliance with environmental laws, while

promoting the public’s right to know. The agency

reported that in FY 1999 approximately 260 companies disclosed potential violations at over 989 facilities

under EPA’s self-disclosure policy. A total of 106 companies corrected violations at 624 facilities in FY 1999,

a significant increase over the 63 companies that 

corrected violations at 390 facilities in FY 1998. The

agency also negotiated a voluntary audit compliance

program with the pork-producing industry in FY 1999,

which may result in self-audits in thousands of facilities over the next several years. Another 76 businesses

disclosed violations under EPA’s small business 

self-disclosure policy, a seven-fold increase from the

previous year. 

Each year the EPA issues a report providing specific

and summary information on EPA achievements in

enforcement and compliance assurance in the areas 

of policy development and implementation by headquarters and regional offices. The reports, including

the 1999 report, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year 1999, can be

obtained from the National Center for Environmental

Publications and Information by phoning (800) 490-9198

or online <http://www.epa.gov/oeca/>.
96 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

Forests. On 13 October 1999, President Clinton

launched an effort to preserve millions of pristine

hectares within America’s national forests. The president directed the US Forest Service to develop, and

propose for public comment, regulations to provide

appropriate long-term protection for most or all of

the currently inventoried “roadless” forest areas and

to determine whether such protection is warranted

for any smaller roadless forest areas not yet inventoried. A new rule proposed by the US Forest Service

would prohibit road building in more than 16.2 million hectares of roadless area, from the Appalachian

Mountains to the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada. 

Environmental Technology. In July 1999, EPA and

Department of Defense (DOD) signed an agreement

to collaborate on a program to test new, commercialready environmental technologies. EPA and DOD 

will join forces to verify technologies through EPA’s

Environmental Technology Verification Program (ETV)

and the DOD’s Environmental Security Technology

Certification Program. This agreement will enable

companies that make better, faster, cheaper technologies to penetrate markets of interest to both EPA

and DOD. It also will provide a formal mechanism

through which EPA and DOD can collaborate on 

technology evaluation, verification, reporting and

technology transfer activities. And it will save time

and expense for both agencies, while supplying the

public with information on new technologies.

Environmental Information. In 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that its reinvention

efforts had dramatically increased public access to

environmental information and had saved businesses

and communities more than $2.4 billion a year, while

ensuring the highest protection of public health 

and the environment. EPA’s reinvention successes 

are outlined in an annual report that highlights the 

environmental and economic benefits resulting 

from the agency’s partnership programs. According

to the 1999 data, businesses and communities had

saved $1.6 billion in 1998 by eliminating 6.9 million

metric tons of solid waste, preventing 79 million 

metric tons of air pollution, saving nearly 22.7 million

liters of clean water, and conserving enough energy

to light 56 million households for a year. In addition

to the cost savings from these programs, another 

$807 million was saved by cutting unnecessary environmental paperwork. By streamlining regulatory

processes and abolishing outdated provisions, the

time businesses and communities spent on paperwork

was reduced by 26.9 million hours a year. Copies of

the annual reinvention reports, including Reinventing

Environmental Protection: 1998 Annual Report, can 

be obtained from the National Center for Publications 

and Information by phoning (800) 490-9198 and online

<http://www.epa.gov/opei/rpubsinfo/index.htm>.

Invasive Species. On 3 February 1999, President

Clinton signed an executive order directing federal

agencies to use their programs to prevent the introduction of invasive species, control populations of

invasive species, and provide for restoration of native

species and habitat conditions in ecosystems that

have been invaded. The order also establishes an

Invasive Species Council whose members include 

the secretaries of state, Treasury, defense, interior, 

agriculture, commerce, and transportation and 

the administrator of the Environmental Protection

Agency. The Invasive Species Council was designed

to provide national leadership in dealing with invasive species, to oversee the implementation of this

order, and, through the development of an interagency management plan, to ensure that federal

agency activities on invasive species are coordinated,

complementary, cost-efficient and effective.
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 97

Article 4 – Publications

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for

rules, proposed rules and notices of federal agencies

and organizations, and executive orders and other

presidential documents. Federal agencies also publish their regulations and legal notices in the Federal

Register, which is issued by the Government Printing

Office. EPA’s Federal Register Site <http://www.epa.

gov/fedrgstr/> provides the full text of selected Federal

Register documents that deal with environmentrelated issues and notices issued since 1 October 1994.

The National Service Center for Environmental

Publications (NSCEP) maintains and distributes EPA

publications in hard copy, CD-ROM and other multimedia formats. Its current publication inventory

includes over 7,000 titles. NSCEP also develops and

distributes the annual EPA National Publications

Catalog. It may be obtained by phoning (800) 490-9198

or online <http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/index/htm>.

Government agencies, including EPA, also issue publications on a variety of topics. For example, EPA’s

Office of Air and Radiation publishes an annual report

on air quality trends, which provides information on

EPA’s most recent evaluation of outdoor air quality

in the United States. The 1999 report, Latest Findings

on National Air Quality: 1999 Status and Trends Report

is available online <http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/>.

Another example of an EPA publication is the “Oil

Spill Program Update” newsletter published quarterly

by the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response

<http://www.epa.gov/oilspill>.

Article 5 – Government Enforcement

Action

What’s New?

In 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency continued to strengthen the enforcement and compliance

assurance program by expanding, in consultation with

the states and EPA’s stakeholders, innovative approaches

to compliance and enforcement. New tools that provide compliance assistance and compliance incentives

complement a strong program of compliance monitoring and civil and criminal enforcement. A strong

enforcement component serves as the foundation for

the national compliance program, motivating regulated entities to seek assistance and use incentive

policies and providing fairness in the marketplace 

by ensuring that noncomplying facilities do not gain

an unfair competitive advantage. 

Enforcement actions concluded in 1999 will reduce

pollutants by over 3.1 billion kg—2.6 billion kg of

nitrogen oxide, 260 million kg of contaminated soil,

91 million kg of iron and 59 million kg of PCB waste.

In addition, polluters were required to spend a record

$3.4 billion to correct violations and to take steps 

to protect the environment. EPA also achieved a

record $236.8 million in environmentally beneficial 

projects. And it assessed a record $166.7 million in

civil penalties, including the largest Clean Air Act 

settlement in history against seven diesel engine manufacturers who used illegal devices to disable their

emission control systems. This case alone will result

in reductions in nitrogen oxide of 68 million metric

tons over the next quarter-century. Finally, in 1999

EPA took 3,935 civil judicial and administrative

enforcement actions, the highest number of civil
98 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

actions taken over the last three years. Also, the record

208 years of jail time imposed on criminal defendants

in 1999 will serve as an extremely important deterrent to others.

The five new Internet-based compliance assistance

centers opened in 1999 are focusing on the chemical

industry, local government, transportation, paints

and coatings and federal facilities. Thus a total of 

10 sector-based centers are now helping users to

understand which federal regulations apply to their

operations, to share pollution prevention tips and

techniques, to access relevant compliance tools and

to learn about new regulatory developments.

EPA completed its first Annual Performance Report in

1999 as part of the US Government Performance and

Results Act (GPRA), a management reform initiative

that holds federal agencies accountable for achieving

program results and using resources wisely. Also, 

the continued implementation of the National

Performance Measures Strategy (NPMS) now includes

measures for compliance rates for selected regulated

populations, pollutant reductions resulting from

enforcement actions, behavioral changes stemming

from compliance assistance and average time for 

significant violators to return to compliance.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for

enforcing US and international laws, regulations and

treaties that protect wildlife resources. In 1999, its

inspectors stationed at major US ports and border

crossings monitored some $1.05 billion in wildlife

imports and exports for compliance with US and

international wildlife protection laws and treaties.

The service’s 1999 enforcement for the first full year

of the new global protections for sturgeon brought

the high-volume, high-value caviar industry under

the agency’s scrutiny for the first time.

Article 5(1)(b) Monitoring Compliance,

Inspections and

Investigations 

In 1999, EPA, or the states through delegated 

programs, conducted 21,847 inspections. The most

inspections (34 percent) were conducted under the

Safe Drinking Water Act, followed by the Clean Water

Act (20 percent) and the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act/Underground Storage Tank programs

(17 percent). Overall, the number of facilities inspected

(that is, coverage) varied considerably across the different programs. For example, 46 percent of facilities

under the Clean Air Act program were inspected.

Under the Clean Water Act (CWA) program, 73 percent

of major wastewater treatment facilities and 36 percent

of facilities with pretreatment programs were inspected.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

program, 63 percent of treatment, storage and disposal

facilities and 22 percent of large-quantity generator

facilities were inspected. 

As part of the phased-in implementation of its measures of program results, EPA is reporting for the first

time data on significant noncompliance duration and

recidivism. The definition of significant noncompliance (SNC) varies with environmental statutes, as

does the degree to which SNC is addressed by program areas. Information on civil investigations and

citizens’ complaints also is being reported for the first

time. Civil investigations provide a more in-depth

examination of a facility’s operations and processes

than a regular inspection. The greatest number of
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 99

intensive compliance investigations (74 percent)

occurred in the CAA program, followed by the CWA

(14 percent) and RCRA (3 percent) programs. 

In 1999, EPA’s Northeast Region (Region 2) implemented an innovative Citizen Complaint Tracking

System. Without such a system, the information

yielded by citizen complaints might never come to

the attention of EPA, particularly if the activity being

complained about cannot be linked to a specific facility (for example, midnight dumping) or originates at

a facility that has never bothered to notify the agency

of its activities and is therefore not subject to regular

inspections and oversight. Through centralized tracking of the electronically available one-page form,

Region 2 can verify that the appropriate follow-up 

to the compliant was carried out. The system also 

provides a mechanism that allows a random review

of a sample of the complaints for consistent handling,

adequate response and customer satisfaction. Several

other EPA regions have developed similar tracking 

systems.

In 1999, special agents of the Fish and Wildlife Service

broke up a Connecticut-based caviar smuggling ring,

setting the stage for the nation’s first successful 

federal felony prosecution upholding new global 

protections for sturgeon. A second landmark smuggling case, which documented six years’ worth of

illegal trade in protected corals and shells, secured

the nation’s first felony convictions for coral trafficking. Other key interdictions involved sea turtle

eggs, traditional Asian medicinals made from endangered animals and shipments of mitten crabs, an

injurious species that disrupts aquatic ecosystems.

Article 5(1)(c) Voluntary Compliance 

EPA continues to promote the regulated community’s

compliance with environmental requirements through

its compliance assistance programs. EPA’s collective

compliance assistance efforts (on-site visits, compliance assistance hotlines, workshops/ training and

presentations at meetings, distribution of compliance

assistance tools such as compliance checklists and

guides) in 1999 reached 333,118 regulated entities.1

EPA operates nine Compliance Assistance Centers,

designed to help small businesses and small governmental entities understand and comply with their

regulatory obligations. The centers focus on specific

industry sectors and provide applicable regulatory

and technical information in a convenient and userfriendly manner. In 1999, the centers were visited

over 750 times a day by businesses, compliance assistance providers, other government representatives

and the general public, for a total of 260,000 user 

sessions. Many respondents to eight voluntary Internet

surveys indicated they took one or more positive

actions (for example, changing the handling of waste,

obtaining a permit, changing a production process,

contacting a regulatory agency, reducing air emissions,

conserving water) as a result of that use. 

In 1999, the Fish and Wildlife Service emphasized

partnerships with industry to promote voluntary

compliance with wildlife protection laws. The agency

teamed with state counterparts and EPA to conduct

inspections for open oil pits that serve as death traps

for migratory birds. Work in Arkansas, Oklahoma,

Texas, New Mexico and the Rocky Mountain states

alerted oil producers to problems at their sites and,

in most cases, secured the remedial action needed

without legal action. FWS special agents conducted

1 Regulated entities were counted on the basis of each type of compliance assistance they received.
100 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

outreach to promote bird-friendly electric power 

distribution and teamed with industry groups to produce a video that shows utilities how to prevent the

electrocution of eagles and other birds. Grizzly bear

avoidance classes for hunting guides and outfitters

in the West reduced the illegal take of this threatened

species and helped sportsmen avoid potentially

deadly confrontations with these animals. 

Article 5(1)(f) Promotion of

Environmental Audits

EPA developed the Audit Policy (Incentives for 

Self-Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and

Prevention of Violations, December 1995) to encourage businesses to take a vigorous self-policing approach

to compliance, including discovering and correcting

violations that might otherwise go undetected. In

1999, EPA obtained self-disclosures under the Audit

Policy from 260 companies reporting violations in

approximately 1,000 of their facilities. Seven hundred

of these disclosures resulted from targeted self-audit

initiatives. Use of corporate-wide auditing agreements

is expanding. EPA has negotiated such agreements

with companies to audit and correct violations of the

Clean Air Act, New Source Review (SR) Standards 

at 40 facilities, emergency notification and spill 

prevention at 17 telecommunications companies,

CAA federal fuel standards at a major airline and Toxic

Substances Control Act violations at two major 

chemical companies. 

A 1999 audit settlement agreement between EPA 

and American Airlines (AMR Corporation) resolved

violations discovered through a corporate audit of

the company’s facilities at 152 airports. Based on the

audit, American Airlines reported numerous violations of diesel fuel regulations from 1993 to 1998.

Under the terms of the settlement, EPA cut total

penalties by more than 90 percent for violations that

the airline voluntarily disclosed and promptly corrected. This agreement is expected to eliminate nearly

635 metric tons of air pollutants annually. 

Articles 5(1)(j) and 5(3) 

Judicial, Quasi-Judicial or

Administrative Proceedings 

to Seek Appropriate

Sanctions or Remedies

In a case against Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, the

company pleaded guilty to illegally dumping oil 

and hazardous chemicals into the ocean. In some

instances, Royal Caribbean was discharging chemicals from their onboard dry cleaning and photo

processing facilities into coastal waters, including

Alaskan. Royal Caribbean will pay an $18 million fine

in addition to the $9 million fine it paid in FY 1998.

As part of the plea agreement, Royal Caribbean will

operate for five years under a prescribed and closely

monitored environmental compliance plan. 

EPA has been investigating whether equipment

upgrades at coal-fired power plants increased their

capacity and emissions, thereby requiring additional

permits and controls. The companies maintain that

these actions were routine maintenance that does not

rise to the level of modifications for which permits 

and controls are required. As a result of these 

investigations, EPA, with the Department of Justice,

has filed enforcement actions against eight power

companies, involving 32 different facilities located

in 10 different states. One of these companies is the

Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned utility.
Country Reports: United States [ Annual Report 1999 ] 101

The Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) will spend

$260 million—including a $1.8 million penalty—to

clean up and restore natural resource damages caused

by mine waste contamination in the Clark Fork River

Basin. As part of the two settlements reached with

the state of Montana and the Confederated Salish

and Kootenai tribes of the Flathead Nation, ARCO

will pay $80 million for the cleanup of the Silver Bow

Creek and $20 million to restore wetlands, bull trout

habitat and other natural resources. 

In 1999, the Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund)

enforcement program secured potentially responsible

party (PRP) commitments of over $780 million, including settlements for more than $550 million in future

response work and settlements for over $230 million

in past costs. Since Superfund’s inception in 1980, the

total value of private party commitments (future 

and past) has reached approximately $16.2 billion

($13.5 billion in response settlements and $2.7 billion

in cost recovery settlements).

An innovative agreement among EPA, the city 

of Manchester, New Hampshire, and the New

Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

will address the city’s long-standing combined sewer

overflow problem, which results in the discharge of

millions of liters of sewage and storm water into the

Merrimack River each year and frequent violations

of water quality standards for bacteria. The agreement,

which includes a ten-year, $52.4 million plan to

remove the majority of sewer overflows into the

river, also includes environmental and public health 

projects, such as storm water management, erosion

control, restoration of urban ponds, environmental

education, wetlands protection and a $500,000 program to reduce childhood asthma and lead poisoning. 

A joint Fish and Wildlife Service-EPA investigation 

in Georgia of a chemical company for mercury contamination of coastal waters and take of endangered

wood storks resulted in prison terms totaling more

than 212 years—the longest collective sentence ever

assessed in the history of US environmental law

enforcement. In the Midwest, the service completed

a major investigation of a US shell exporter for illegal

mussel trade, bringing the fines and restitution 

payments assessed for mussel trafficking over the last

two years to more than $1.4 million.

FWS efforts to protect migratory birds from electrocution hazards secured guilty pleas from a Colorado

utility that admitted violating two wildlife protection

laws as well as an important court ruling. That legal

opinion upheld the criminal liability of companies

whose business activities harm federally protected

migratory birds, reinforcing US protections for this

shared North American resource. Another court challenge that questioned the legality of the service’s wolf

reintroduction program was turned back when the

Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lowercourt decision that upheld such species recovery

efforts under the Endangered Species Act.
102 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Country Reports: United States

Additional Information

US ENVIONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Enforcement accomplishments:

<http://www.epa.gov/ocea/99accomp.pdf>

Measures for program results:

<http://www.epa.gov/ocea/perfmeas/npmsfinal.html>

Sector Facility Indexing Project:

<http://www.epa.gov/ocea.sfi>

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI):

<http://www.epa.gov/tri>

Compliance assistance: 

<http://www.epa.gov/clearinghouse>

State programs:

<http://epa.gov/oeca/fedfac/cfa/statesmap.html>

<http://es.epa.gov/cooperative/stateandlocal>

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

<http://www.fws.gov>

Article 6 – Private Access 

to Remedies

Standing. In October 1999, the US Supreme Court

heard oral arguments in the citizen suit case Friends

of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc. 

(149 F. 3d 303 [1998]). The Court was reviewing the

Fourth Circuit’s decision holding that the defendant

in this Clean Water Act citizen suit had the power, as

a matter of constitutional law, to moot a plaintiff’s

claims for civil penalties by complying with the act

after the filing of the complaint, even though the

plaintiff had standing to seek penalties and injunctive relief at the time it filed the suit. The defendant

also had argued that plaintiffs did not have standing,

because payment of civil penalties to the US Treasury

did not redress the alleged injury suffered by plaintiffs, and therefore plaintiffs did not meet the standing

requirements of Article III of the US Constitution. 

On 12 January 2000, the Supreme Court reversed

the Fourth Circuit’s ruling on both issues (Friends 

of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc., 

528 US 167 [2000]). The effect of the Supreme Court’s

decision is significant, because it served to preserve

a citizen’s legal right to enforce the CWA and a wide

range of other federal environmental laws. The Supreme

Court decision is available online <http://supct.law.

cornell.edu/ supct/html/98_822.ZO.html>.
1999 

Financial Reports

3
104 [ Annual Report 1999 ]

1999 Audited

Financial

Statements

Table of Contents

Auditors’ Report 105

Balance Sheet 106

Statement of Revenue 107

and Expenditures

Statement of Capital 108

Statement of Cash Flows 108

Notes to the Financial Statements 109

Schedule 111
1999 Financial Reports [ Annual Report 1999 ] 105

To the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation

We have audited the balance sheet of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation as at December 31, 1999

and the statements of revenue and expenditures, capital and cash flows for the year then ended. These financial

statements are the responsibility of the Commission’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion

on these financial statements based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in Canada. Those standards

require that we plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are

free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts

and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and 

significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.

In our opinion, these financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the

Commission as at December 31, 1999 and the results of its operations and the its cash flows for the year 

then ended in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada.

Chartered Accountants

March 22, 2000

Montreal, Québec

Auditors’ Report
Balance Sheet

As at December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars) 1999 1998

$ $

Assets

Current assets

Cash and term deposits 2,792,939 2,568,774

Goods and services tax (Note 3) 1,275,932 1,960,018

Other assets 186,713 180,808

4,255,584 4,709,600

Capital assets (Note 4) 268,719 389,190

4,524,303 5,098,790

Liabilities

Current liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 427,722 740,305

Leasehold inducements 1,170,079 1,344,351

Deferred contributions (Note 5) 2,272,106 2,889,000

3,869,907 4,973,656

Capital

Invested in capital assets 268,719 389,190

Restricted for North American Fund 1,012,778 1,272,517

for Environmental Cooperation

Unrestricted (627,101) (1,536,573)

654,396 125,134

4,524,303 5,098,790

Commitments (Note 7)

Approved by the Council

Canada

Mexico

United States

106 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 1999 Financial Reports
1999 Financial Reports [ Annual Report 1999 ] 107

Statement of Revenue and Expenditures

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars) 1999 1998

$ $

Revenue

Contribution – Canada 4,445,000 4,500,000

Contribution – Mexico 4,445,000 4,136,000

Contribution – United States 4,445,000 4,500,000

Internally generated funds 1,224,536 1,147,543

Other revenue 128,124 194,038

14,687,660 14,477,581

Expenditures

Expenses related to work program – Schedule 2,490,380 2,330,207

Expenses related to specific obligations – Schedule 438,909 624,654

Expenses related to the Council meetings – Schedule 233,263 321,810

Expenses related to the Public consultation – Schedule 54,786 110,463

Expenses related to the JPAC – Schedule 234,509 173,010

Expenses related to the Directorate operations 156,928 159,756

Expenses related to North American Fund 236,771 206,770

for Environmental Cooperation

Expenses related to contingency fund 13,761 180,953

CEC Resource Center 173,332 178,195

Publishing and website 430,781 548,685

Public outreach 283,227 379,758

Salaries and fringe benefits

Program related 3,959,890 3,799,630

Departmental operations 614,588 659,760

Relocation and orientation expenses 92,559 188,451

Training expenses 31,107 29,967

Office expenses 290,671 246,213

Telecommunications 86,248 132,350

Systems support 90,628 83,668

Rent, utilities and office maintenance 410,814 431,485

Administrative fees 178,289 204,567

Loss (gain) on foreign exchange 149,473 (22,179)

10,650,914 10,968,173

Excess of revenue over expenditures (balance carried forward) 4,036,746 3,509,408

Contribution adjustment – (483,522)

Contributions transferred to the following year 

budget (notes 2(a) and 5) (2,272,106), (2,889,000)

Contributions from prior year 2,889,000 1,780,337

Expenditures related to prior year commitments – Schedule (2,204,762) (1,607,000)

Contributions refundable – 374,511

Excess of revenue over expenditures before the folowing items 2,448,878 684,734

Amortization of capital assets (194,877) (239,742)

Loss on disposal of capital assets – (60,875)

Grants disbursed (1,724,739) (1,390,097)

Excess (deficiency) of expenditures over revenue 529,262 (1,005,980)
108 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 1999 Financial Reports

Statement of Capital

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars)

Restricted for

North American

Invested Fund for

in capital Environmental Total Total

assets Cooperation Unrestricted 1999 1998

$ $$ $ $

Balance, beginning of year 389,190 1,272,517 (1,536,573) 125,134 1,131,114

Excess (deficiency) of revenue (194,877) (1,724,739) 2,448,878 529,262 (1,005,980)

over expenditures

Transfer – 1,465,000 (1,465,000) – –

Investment in capital assets 74,406 – (74,406) – –

Balance, end of year 268,719 1,012,778 (627,101) 654,396 125,134

Statement of Cash Flows

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars) 1999 1998

$ $

Operating activities

Excess of expenditures over revenue 529,262 (1,005,980)

Items not affecting cash and cash equivalents

Amortization of capital assets 194,877 239,742

Loss on disposal of capital assets – 60,875

Contributions transferred to the following year budget 2,272,106 2,889,000

Contributions from prior year (2,889,000) (1,780,337)

107,245 403,300

Changes in non-cash operating working capital items (Note 6) 365,598 (731,812)

472,843 (328,512)

Financing activities

Change in leasehold inducements (174,272) (99,595)

Investing activities

Acquisition of capital assets (74,406) (128,796)

Disposal of capital assets – 8,650

(74,406) (120,146)

Net cash inflow (outflow) 224,165 (548,253)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 2,568,774 3,117,027

Cash and cash equivalents, end of year 2,792,939 2,568,774
1999 Financial Reports [ Annual Report 1999 ] 109

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars)

1. Nature of activities

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation is an international organization that was created by the

North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation for the purpose of meeting NAFTA’s environmental 

provisions. The Commission became operational in July 1994.

2. Significant accounting policies

The financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada

including the following significant accounting policies.

(a) Contributions

The Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United

States of America (the Parties) contribute to the Commission’s annual budget by mutual agreement.

Funds contributed remain available for six months following the end of the financial year to discharge related

obligations incurred during the year.

Any surplus funds in excess of 5% of the budget are credited to the Parties by an adjustment of the assessments

for the subsequent financial year.

(b) Capital assets

Capital assets are recorded at cost and are being amortized on a straight-line basis at the following annual rates:

Computer equipment 20%

Computer equipment and software – projects 30% 

Computer software 30%

Furniture and fixtures 20%

Telephone system 30%

Equipment 30%

Leasehold improvements 12%

(c) Foreign currencies

Transactions conducted in foreign currencies are translated using the temporal method. Exchange gains and

losses are included in the results for the period. 

(d) Leasehold inducements

Leasehold inducements relate to the rental of office space by the commission. These inducements, which are

amortized over the term of the lease, are offset against rent expenses.

3. Goods and Services Tax

These receivables relate to QST, GST and HST receivable. Given the international status of the Commission,

special agreements must be signed between the Federal and Québec governments and the Commission before

the goods and services taxes paid on purchases are reimbursed. An agreement with federal government was

signed in June 1997 and published in the Canadian Gazette on September 23, 1997, establishing the right to

reimbursement of GST and HST taxes from September 1997 onward. Furthermore, under a remission order

published in the Canadian Gazette of August 18, 1999, the Commission is entitled to receive a remission 

of tax for the period from September 1994 to September 1997. No agreement has yet been signed between 

the commission and the Québec government regarding QST. Management is of the opinion that this amount

will be recovered.
110 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 1999 Financial Reports

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars)

4. Capital assets

1999 1998

Accumulated Net Book Net Book

Cost Amortization Value Value

$$ $ $

Computer equipment 274,692 140,188 134,504 161,222

Computer equipment and software – projects 127,602 118,711 8,891 42,125

Computer software 134,867 90,158 44,709 28,751

Furniture and fixtures 367,030 355,315 11,715 70,282

Telephone system 120,088 107,307 12,781 21,984

Equipment 140,424 131,294 9,130 14,707

Leasehold improvements 74,749 27,760 46,989 50,119

1,239,452 970,733 268,719 389,190

5. Deferred contributions

For the 1999 financial year, contributions available to discharge related obligations during 2000 amount to

$2,272,106 (1998 – $2,889,000). These contributions are presented as deferred contributions in the balance sheet.

6. Changes in non-cash operating working capital items

1999 1998

$ $

Goods and services tax 684,086 (529,906)

Contributions receivable – 443,051

Other assets (5,905) 20,127

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (312,583) (290,573)

Contributions refundable – (374,511)

365,598 (731,812)

7. Commitments

a) The Commission leases premises under an operating lease which expires in November 2004. Total minimum

payments required in future years, are as follows: 

$

2000 417,817

2001 464,413

2002 511,009

2003 557,606

2004 546,733

2,497,578

The Commission has the option to cancel the lease upon payment of a penalty that ranges from $719,000 

to $244,000 over the years 2000 to 2003.

b) The Commission has commitments of $2,272,106 relating to environmental projects as at December 31, 1999.

c) The Commission has commitments for equipment and furniture leases which expire on or before March 2003.

Total payments required in future years are as follows:

$

2000 117,153

2001 111,696

2002 42,292

2003 4,718

275,859
1999 Financial Reports [ Annual Report 1999 ] 111

Schedule

Expenses related to the work program, specific obligations under North American Agreement,

Council meetings, Public consultation, Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) meetings, 

and prior year commitments

Year ended December 31, 1999 (in Canadian dollars) 1999 1998

$ $

Work program

Professional fees 1,420,533 1,088,525

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 711,621 854,878

Translation and interpretation 206,723 255,164

Office expenses 151,503 131,640

2,490,380 2,330,207

Specific obligations under North American Agreement 

Environmental Cooperation

Professional fees 161,161 344,070

Translation and interpretation 132,807 85,940

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 74,933 154,024

Office expenses 70,008 40,620

438,909 624,654

Council meetings

Translation and interpretation 124,548 128,767

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 65,197 139,777

Office expenses 25,591 27,138

Professional fees 17,927 26,128

233,263 321,810

Public consultation

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 54,786 96,414

Professional fees – 9,420

Translation and interpretation – 4,629

54,786 110,463

Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) meetings

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 112,941 105,627

Translation and interpretation 59,105 30,053

Professional fees 37,683 31,137

Office expenses 24,780 6,193

234,509 173,010

Expenditures related to prior year commitments

Expenditures related to project commitments

Professional fees 1,434,543 988,850

Traveling, accommodation and meeting expenses 68,498 99,830

Translation and interpretation 49,449 66,560

Publications and communications 30,015 6,597

Office expenses – 6,525

1,582,505 1,168,362

Expenditures not related to project commitments 622,257 438,638

2,204,762 1,607,000

Looking 

4

Ahead
114 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Looking Ahead

2000

Annual Program 

and 

Budget Overview 

Program

This item includes:

project costs (including costs 

of publications

salaries of staff whose activity relates directly 

to projects, Council, JPAC and Executive

Management; 

NAFEC—including management costs as well

as funds for grants of up to C$100,000 and

funds for projects not exceeding C$10,000; 

specific obligations under the NAAEC;

a portion of rent (85 percent).

costs of Council Sessions, JPAC meetings 

and public meetings; 

telecommunication costs; and

executive management including 

costs for the Mexico liaison office

Administration and Support

These items support the Commission as a whole 

and include Administration and Accounting, Public

Outreach, the remaining part of rent (15 percent),

external administrative support, relocation expenses

for staff, office equipment and supplies, and operating

equipment that include the payments for ongoing

equipment leases.

Contingency Fund

Set aside for unforeseen costs.
Looking Ahead [ Annual Report 1999 ] 115

2000 Project Budget Summary

I - Environment, Economy and Trade

Projects Budget (C$)

1.1.1 Critical and Emerging Environmental Trends in North America C$173,000

1.1.2 Assessing Environment and Trade Relationships C$163,000

1.1.3 Financing and the Environment C$134,000

1.2.1 Facilitating Trade in Green Goods and Services:

Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Production and Trade C$192,000

1.2.2 Facilitating Conservation of Biodiversity 

as it relates to Trade in Wildlife Species C$114,000

1.2.3 Sustainable Tourism in Natural Areas C$92,000

II - Conservation of Biodiversity

2.1.1 Strategic Directions for the Conservation of Biodiversity C$148,000

2.2.1 Cooperation on the Protection of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems C$256,000

2.2.3 North American Marine Protected Areas Network C$148,000

2.2.4 North American Biodiversity Conservation Mechanisms C$405,000

2.3.1 North American Biodiversity Information Network C$177,000

III - Pollutants and Health

3.1.1 Facilitating Trinational Coordination in Air Quality Management C$373,000

3.1.2 Developing Technical and Strategic Tools for 

Improved Air Quality in North America C$33,000

3.1.3 Trinational Air Quality Improvement Initiative: 

North American Trade and Transportation Corridors C$223,000

3.2.1 Sound Management of Chemicals C$835,000

3.3.1 North American Pollutant Release and Transfer Register C$417,000

3.4.1 Capacity Building for Pollution Prevention C$154,000

3.4.2 Children’s Health and the Environment in North America C$142,000

IV - Law and Policy

4.1.1 Cooperation between Environmental Laboratories C$52,000

4.2.1 North American Regional Enforcement Forum C$132,000

4.2.2 Enforcement and Compliance Capacity building C$192,000

4.2.3 Indicators of Effective Environmental Enforcement C$73,000
116 [ Annual Report 1999 ] Looking Ahead

General 

Description Amount (C$)

1. Program 11,122,000

1.1 Projects 4,629,000

1.2 Salaries 3,068,000

1.3 NAFEC 739,000

1.4 Specific obligations 1,120,000

1.5 Rent (Program) 532,000

1.6 Council Regular Session (incl. 66k public session) 295,000

1.7 JPAC operations 281,000

1.8 Telecommunications 148,000

1.9 Executive Management 310,000

1.9.1 Executive Director 118,000

1.9.2 Directors 59,000

1.9.3 Mexico Liaison Office 133,000

2. Administration and support 2,068,000

2.1 Salaries 871,000

2.2 Public Outreach 459,000

2.3 Operating equipment 118,000

2.4 External administrative support 295,000

2.5 Office supplies 133,000

2.6 Rent 74,000

2.7 Relocation & orientation 118,000

3. Contingency fund 590,000

3.1 Unforeseen needs 148,000

3.2 Reserve for reimbursement of Québec taxes 89,000

3.3 Reserve for currency fluctuations 353,000

Total 13,780,000

Summary

Description Amount (C$)

1 Program 11,122,000

2 Administration 2,068,000

3 Contingency 590,000

Total 13,780,000

Revenues

Description Amount (C$)

Parties’ contributions 13,293,000

Carry over 369,000

Interest 118,000

Total 13,780,000 
[ Annual Report 1999 ] 117

2000

Budget

Graphic Overview

Administration 

and Support

Overall CEC Budget Program

for 2000

1 23 1 2 3 4 567

8 9

1. Salaries 42.1%

2. Public Outreach 22.2%

3. Operating Equipment 5.7%

4. External Administrative 

Support 14.3%

5. Office Supplies 6.5%

6. Rent 3.6%

7. Relocation 

and Orientation 5.7%

1. Projects 41.6%

2. Salaries 27.6%

3. NAFEC 6.6%

4. Specific Obligations 10.1%

5. Rent (Program) 4.8%

6. Council Sessions

(incl. public session) 2.7%

7. JPAC Operations 2.5%

8. Telecommunications 1.3%

9. Executive 

Management 2.8%

1. Program 80.7%

2. Administration 

and Support 15%

3. Contingency Fund 4.3%

1 2 3 456 7
118 [ Annual Report 1999 ] 

Janice Astbury

NAFEC Coordinator

Tel: (514) 350-4353

E-mail: jastbury@ccemtl.org

Greg Block

Director of Programs

Tel: (514) 350-4320

E-mail: gblock@ccemtl.org

Alicia Gizzi Chica

Assistant

Tel.: (514) 350-4330

E-mail: achica@ccemtl.org 

Chantal Line Carpentier

Program Manager, 

Environment, Economy and Trade

Tel: (514) 350-4336

E-mail: carpentier@ccemtl.org

Eduardo Delgadillo

Director of Administration 

and Finances

Tel: (514) 350-4354

E-mail: edelgadi@ccemtl.org

Charles Dickson

Director of Communications

Tel: (514) 350-4308

E-mail: cdickson@ccemtl.org

Janine Ferretti

Executive Director

Tel: (514) 350-4303

Nathalie Daoust

Executive Assistant

Tel: (514) 350-4318

E-mail: ndaoust@ccemtl.org

Geoffrey Garver

Director, 

Submissions on Enforcement 

Matters Unit

Tel: (514) 350-4355

E-mail: ggarver@ccemtl.org

Ignacio González

Program Manager, 

Law and Policy

Tel: (514) 350-4324

E-mail: gonzalez@ccemtl.org

Hernando Guerrero

Director of Mexico Liaison Office

Tel: (525) 659-5021

E-mail: guerrero@cec.org

Hans Herrmann

Head of Conservation 

of Biodiversity Program

Tel: (514) 350-4340

E-mail: hherrman@ccemtl.org

Jürgen Hoth

Program Manager, 

Conservation of Biodiversity

Tel: (514) 350-4307

E-mail: jhoth@ccemtl.org

Douglas Kirk

Managing Editor, English

Tel: (514) 350-4352

E-mail: dkirk@ccemtl.org

Raymonde Lanthier

Managing Editor, French

Tel: (514) 350-4322

E-mail: rlanthie@ccemtl.org

Miguel López

Managing Editor, Spanish

Tel: (514) 350-4358

E-mail: mlopez@ccemtl.org

Paul Miller

Program Manager, 

Pollutants and Health

Tel: (514) 350-4326

E-mail: pmiller@ccemtl.org

Darlene A. Pearson

Head of Law and Policy Program

Tel: (514) 350-4334

E-mail: dpearson@ccemtl.org

Manon Pepin

JPAC Liaison Officer

Tel: (514) 350-4305

E-mail: mpepin@ccemtl.org

Erica Phipps

Program Manager, 

Technical Cooperation 

Tel: (514) 350-4323

E-mail: ephipps@ccemtl.org

Carla Sbert

Legal Officer, 

Submissions on Enforcement 

Matters Unit

Tel: (514) 350-4321

E-mail: csbert@ccemtl.org

Victor Shantora

Head of Pollutants 

and Health Program

Tel: (514) 350-4355

E-mail: vshantora@ccemtl.org

CEC Secretariat Directory

Jeffrey Stoub

Publications Manager

Tel: (514) 350-4327

E-mail: jstoub@ccemtl.org

José Carlos Tenorio Marañón

Program Manager, Sound

Management of Chemicals

Tel: (514) 350-4372

E-mail: jctenorio@ccemtl.org

Scott Vaughan

Head of Environment, 

Economy and Trade Program

Tel: (514) 350-4302

E-mail: svaughan@ccemtl.org

Carlos Valdés Casillas

Program Manager, 

Environmental Informatics 

and Bioinformatics

Tel: (514) 350-4348

E-mail: cvaldes@ccemtl.org

Cristóbal Vignal

Planning, Monitoring 

and Evaluation Officer,

Council Secretary

Tel: (514) 350-4333

E-mail: cvignal@ccemtl.org

393, rue St-Jacques Ouest 

Bureau 200

Montréal (Québec)

Canada H2Y 1N9

Tel.: (514) 350-4300

Fax: (514) 350-4314

In North America, we share vital

natural resources, including air,

oceans and rivers, mountains

and forests. Together, these natural

resources are the basis of a rich

network of ecosystems that sustain our

livelihoods and well-being. If they are

to continue being a source of future

life and prosperity, these resources

must be protected. Protecting

the North American environment

is a responsibility shared by Canada,

Mexico and the United States.

The Commission for Environmental

Cooperation (CEC) is an international

organization whose members include

Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The CEC was created under the North

American Agreement on Environmental

Cooperation (NAAEC) to address regional

environmental concerns, help prevent

potential trade and environmental

conflicts and promote the effective

enforcement of environmental law.

The Agreement complements the

environmental provisions established

in the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA).

To find out more about the CEC’s activities, 

or obtain up-to-date information on the 

projects described in this Annual Report, 

including related announcements 

and publications, please visit the CEC’s 

Internet homepage or contact us 

using the addresses below.

http://www.cec.org

e-mail: info@ccemtl.org