Clean air coming to Toronto

U.S. lawsuit settlement will lead to cleaner air in Toronto

A settlement in the lawsuit against American Electric Power (AEP) in  the United States (U.S.) will significantly reduce transboundary air  pollution in Toronto and improve the health of local residents,  reports the city’s media centre.

A report forwarded to the Board of Health today notes that as a result of an October 2007 court settlement, recently ratified by the U.S. government, emissions from AEP*s coal-fired electric plants in five U.S. states will be significantly reduced. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment estimates that up to 50% of the air pollution affecting Toronto during smog days is from the United States.

“This is a major victory for the people of Toronto,” said Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health. “This settlement will lead to
concrete reductions of pollutants that are known to cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory illness.”