Report critical of Canada's environmental record may be withheld
An international trade and environment commission wrapped up an investigation last week into Canada's weak environmental enforcement practices and PCB pollution in the St. Lawrence River. Whether or not the record sees the light of day is now up to Mexico and the United States.

After four and a half years, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation completed its factual record of the Montreal Technoparc.

For years, PCBs have continuously leaked into the St. Lawrence River from a century-old landfill in downtown Montreal. Samples collected by Waterkeeper Mark Mattson show PCB concentrations nearly nine-million times greater than levels considered threatening to human and aquatic life. PCBs are one of the most feared chemicals in the world.

Environment Canada chose not to enforce the Fisheries Act, failed to contain the PCB leak, and did not clean up the St. Lawrence River. So Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance, Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper and local activist Daniel Green jointly filed a citizen submission with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The Commission rejected Environment Canada's explanations and ordered that a factual record be prepared.

The factual record is now done. It contains information about Environment Canada's inspection and enforcement activities, the effectiveness of its actions, ownership of the contaminated land, and its interactions with the Province of Quebec and City of Montreal. The United States, Canada and Mexico must now vote on whether or not to make the report public. Only two of three countries must approve, though there are fears that Canada may be trying to pressure the other countries to vote in favour of secrecy. If the factual record is not released, it may be the first time in the Commission's history that results of an investigation were kept secret.