On March 15, the annual survey of the ten worst polluters was released by Pollution Watch (www.pollutionwatch.org) and Saskatchewan was ranked as the third worst province in Canada for releasing pollutants into the environment in 2005. Sask Power's Boundary Dam Power Generating Station was given the further distinction of being the 5th biggest single point source for pollution in Canada.  When it is limited to carbon dioxide emissions, Saskatchewan is ranked seventh in Canada.  Not surprisingly, Alberta is the worst.

The information in the survey is based on an analysis of the pollution releases filed with Environment Canada each year by major polluters. The major pollutants monitored in Canada include carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter and mercury.  These are mapped across Canada so we can know who is putting these out into the environment but also where they are released.  These are also the known and permitted emissions.  Governments allow these pollutants to be regularly released for our environment and our bodies to absorb.

The impacts of carbon dioxide emissions and other GHG compounds like methane are well known as they are the primary driver of climate change.  Sulphur dioxide is directly linked with acid rain and respiratory illnesses.  Acid deposition in southern Saskatchewan may not be a problem but northern Saskatchewan is less capable of buffering the impacts of acid rain from the tar sands, for instance.  Particulate matter is linked to respiratory problems with the particles getting into our lungs.  Particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and nitrous oxide are the precursers of smog and the associated respiratory illnesses and deaths.  Mercury is a heavy metal and is bioaccumulated in our bodies with carcinogenic and developmental impacts and is seen as one of top ten percent's most hazardous compounds for human health.

Saskatchewan released approximately 245 Million kilograms of pollutants into Saskatchewan, made up of  principally sulphur dioxide (48.0%), NOx (27.8%), particulate matter (8%) and carbon monoxide (14.1%).  Boundary Dam pumps out 67.8 Million kilograms of pollutants (70.1% sulphur dioxide, 24.3% NOx and 5.6% particulate matter).  There is also 6.75 Million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions coming from the station.

"If you deal with the biggest emitters first, I think you could deal with a significant portion of the problem," said Fe de Leon, a researcher with the Canadian Environmental Law Association.  The Harper government, on the other hand, is going after pollution intensity rather than capping emission releases by the individual industry or sector.  Their approach would mean that we would continue to pollute and emit carbon dioxide but we would go up less quickly, still creating problems and still needing to be dealt with by future generations.

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