The Honorable J.R. Simonett – Minister of Energy and Resources Management
The problem of pollution resulting from man’s various activities is not a new one. In England, in the sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I is reported to have complained of the unpleasant smoke created by burning coal in open fires in London and certainly the lack of sanitation in most cities of that time created conditions which today would be considered as intolerable. So, when we look back over the past few hundred years, we see that progress has been made in pollution abatement but we also see that increasing human population and increasing industrialization tend to cancel the progress being made in control programs.
In Ontario, since the late 1940s, we have experienced both a substantial increase in population and a marked expansion of industrial activity. We look upon these as achievements rather than problems but only with an awareness of the potential problems of pollution and an expanding program of abatement can we continue to develop in a healthy environment, enjoying those pursuits of leisure which we earn by the fruits of our labour.
During the past 20 years or so, the complexity of the overall pollution problem has increased greatly and the governmental agencies involved in dealing with the problem have increased correspondingly. Originally, the Department of Health accepted responsibility for all pollution abatement programs until 1956, when the Ontario Water Resources Commission was formed, taking over the management of water pollution abatement. Since then, the Department of Lands and Forests and the Department of Agriculture and Food have become involved in controlling the now widespread use of pesticides and herbicides. In addition, the Department of Mines has become increasingly involved in mines tailings disposal, and the Department of Municipal Affairs has been made aware, by the municipalities, of the very rapid growth in the amount of solid refuse which has to be disposed of daily from our urban centres.
At first glance, these appear to be separate problems, each with a specific governmental agency responsible for dealing with it, but a closer inspection reveals the fact that these problems are all interconnected. Let me give you an example; refuse disposal is a municipal responsibility — if it is incinerated, we have air pollution which is a Department of Health problem; if it is dumped in a low-lying area, it is likely to pollute a natural watercourse which makes it an Ontario Water Resources Commission problem. Realizing the need for close liaison within Government among the various agencies involved, the Prime Minister established in 1966 a committee of deputy ministers known as The Advisory Committee on Pollution Control. Since its formation, this committee has established co-ordination of programs while leaving the actual responsibility for action with the various member departments. This conference is being sponsored by the Advisory Committee, the Chairman of which is your Chairman this morning, and my deputy, Mr. Thatcher.
Pollution of our environment is a by-product of human activity and we cannot eliminate it entirely. We can reduce it to a greater or lesser extent depending on what we are willing or able to pay. For example, a factory may be able to produce the goods we need very cheaply but it may create, as a result, gross air or water pollution. Alternatively, we may reduce the pollution to the point of being negligible but we may force an increase in the price of the goods beyond what we can afford to pay. Obviously, these are extremes and neither is the best solution. What we need is a solution somewhere between the extremes which will provide us with the goods we need, at a price we can afford, while creating no more pollution than we are prepared to tolerate.
In my view, the best means of achieving a way of life that satisfies us all to the greatest possible extent, is to make every member of our community aware of the problem so that he can help make the value judgments which must be made if abatement programs are to be tailored to the needs of the people. This, then, is the main purpose of this conference — to provide information and answers — to frankly acknowledge those areas where progress is slow because of a need for additional knowledge –to discuss which areas need more research and to tell you of some of the progress being made. It may also help to dispel some of the doubts and confusions in the minds of many people concerning what is actually happening in pollution of our air, soil and water. Is it increasing? Is it being controlled? What are the issues?
I hope that this conference will provide the answers to these questions.
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