City of Toronto stands down on environmental reporting

Since Toronto’s 2000 Environmental Plan, the Toronto Board of Health has been concerned about inadequacies in federal and provincial environmental toxics reporting, especially its failure to require reporting from small and medium-sized businesses. Early this year, the City proposed a new bylaw, which would require most Toronto businesses to make detailed environmental disclosure on 25 priority substances.

The Medical Officer of Health announced today his recommendations that the City not proceed, for now, with its proposed bylaw. Instead, City should await the proposed provincial toxics law, which was promised in last year’s Throne Speech, and urge the province to make the new law apply to businesses of all sizes. After reviewing the new law, the City will decide whether it provides adequate information to protect public health or whether the City should still proceed with its by-law.

Meanwhile, the Medical Officer of Health has released a draft of the proposed bylaw. He also proposes that the City should hire two additional staff to promote pollution prevention of the 25 priority substances.