Administrative Penalties US-style administrative penalties are gaining strength in Canada. This makes administrative penalties much swifter and more certain than prosecution. Watch for them to spread across Canada. New air standard Ontario has proposed a new ambient air standard for inhalable particulates. PM10, a key element of smog, are air particles up to 10 microns in diameter.
Studies suggest that they damage lungs, aggravate respiratory ailments and cause premature deaths.
Smog also damages vegetation, materials and crops. The proposed standard is 50 micrograms of PM 10 per cubic metre over 24-hours. This is comparable to the US proposal that Stirling criticized.