News Release Archive
NEW ENGLAND GOVERNORS/ EASTERN CANADIAN PREMIERS--RESOLUTIONS
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Following are five resolutions passed at the 22nd annual
Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian
Premiers held at Newport, R.I., June 2-4:
RESOLUTION--NORTHEAST INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
Whereas, energy markets in Canada and the United States are
facing a major reassessment and realignment from the point of
generation to end-use consumption, as competition, restructuring
and deregulation are beginning to transform traditional
structures; and
Whereas, these changes offer potential opportunities for
increased efficiencies, the employment of advanced technologies,
and an improvement in the regional economic development and in
the rise of employment; and
Whereas, the issue of energy has been of primary interest to the
conference since its inception -- whether regarding energy trade,
economic development, employment, new technologies, renewable
energy options and efficiency measures; and
Whereas, deregulations of the gas market in the northeast region
will bring about substantial changes in the transportation and
distribution systems and offer new opportunities for both
consumers and the gas industry in the region; and
Whereas, the conference finds that the significance of energy to
our region as an economic factor requires continued monitoring of
new developments in deregulation;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the conference directs its
Northeast International Committee on Energy (NICE) to monitor
changes in the electricity marketplace regarding competition and
deregulation;
Be it further resolved that NICE give special attention to the
evolution of the gas market, in light of new projects which will
be brought forward regarding the production, transportation and
distribution of natural gas in the northeast area, leading
eventually to a greater integration of the gas market in that
area;
Be it further resolved that NICE continue its discussions of
appropriate exchanges of planning methodologies and energy data
collection among the states and provinces, to increase mutual
understanding of the dynamics of the Eastern Canada-New England
energy market.
Be it further resolved that NICE will produce a New
England-Eastern Canada energy profile as a followup to Energy in
New England and Eastern Canada at a Glance published in 1994, for
submission to the premiers and governors at the next annual
conference;
Be it further resolved that NICE, working with the secretariats,
report on its findings at the next annual meeting of the
Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Premiers.
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RESOLUTION--ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
Whereas, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern
Canadian Premiers encourages initiatives furthering economic
co-operation in its region; and
Whereas, the Conference recognizes the importance of meeting the
challenges of competitiveness and market expansion; and
Whereas, the Conference recognizes the importance of stimulating
greater industrial, technological and commercial co-operation
among companies from the Northeast; and
Whereas, the Conference considers that the emergence of alliances
among companies from the Northeast will increase their success in
outside markets; and
Whereas, the Conference recognizes that increasing the
competitive ability of companies, in a context of greater
economic integration on the regional and world levels, will
generate new job creation;
Now therefore, be it resolved that the Conference of New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers explore the organization
of a forum of business people designed to facilitate linkages
among companies and to identify actions to be taken to increase
interregional business relations and the competitive edge of
companies from the Northeast;
That each member government of the Conference consult business
and other interested groups so as to identify key sectors,
impediments to trade, avenues worth exploring and interregional
synergies and to determine the business communities interest in
such a forum.
That provided that there is sufficient interest in the business
community the first forum of business people in the Northeast
will be held at the invitation of the Government of Quebec, in
Montreal in the winter of 1997-98, and that an action plan be
developed and submitted at the 23rd conference.
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RESOLUTION--GREENWAYS AND BIKE ROUTE PROJECTS
Whereas creating cycling networks and linear parks is an
excellent touristic development and regional economic tool for
the New England states and the Eastern Canadian provinces;
Whereas the New England states and the Eastern Canadian provinces
have, on their respective territories, great potential for
developing greenways and cycling networks;
Whereas setting up cycling infrastructures may encourage the use
of bicycles as a mode of transportation in urban centres and thus
contribute to improving the quality of the environment;
Whereas developing greenways and cycling networks is beneficial
to the quality of life and the health of citizens;
Whereas the New England states and the Eastern Canadian provinces
already in various ways support the development of cycling
networks, bike routes and greenways on their respective
territories;
Whereas the Conference of New England Governors has already given
its support to the holding of the New England Greenway Tour in
1997;
Now therefore, be it resolved that the Conference of New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers encourage initiatives
designed to foster the development of links between existing and
future cycling networks, bike routes and greenways, on both sides
of their borders.
Be it further resolved that
- the possibility of concluding an agreement on mutually marking
bike routes and greenways within a 10-kilometre zone on both
sides of borders be examined.
- the pooling of expertise in matters of developing bike routes
and greenways be encouraged.
- the members of the Conference of New England Governors and
Eastern Canadian Premiers use the formats available to them for
promoting tourism to inform the public about developments in
existing and future cycling networks and greenways on both
sides of their borders.
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RESOLUTION--ACID DEPOSITION AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Whereas, the acid deposition phenomenon in New England states and
Eastern Canadian provinces is largely a function of the
long-range transport of precursor pollutants such as sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides; and
Whereas, recent efforts to reduce acid deposition have not been
sufficient and are being exacerbated by increasing nitrogen
oxides emissions in upwind jurisdictions; and
Whereas, acid deposition poses a threat to fragile ecosystems,
particularly to the New England and Eastern Canadian lakes and
forest ecosystem; and
Whereas, acid deposition damages the environment and economy of
New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces through the
acidification of superficial and groundwaters and diminished
forest health and productivity; and
Whereas, our ability to understand, evaluate, and develop cost
effective solutions to acid deposition depends upon maintaining
accurate and reliable emission and deposition monitoring networks
to provide the public and government with the best available
pollutant data; and
Whereas, innovative strategies and market-based approaches
addressing the problems caused by acid rain deposition are most
likely to succeed where these approaches are predicated upon and
evaluated against, the highest quality empirical data; and
Whereas, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern
Canadian Premiers, beginning in the early 1980s, was a leader in
addressing long-range acid rain transport, adopting a pioneering
and influential sulphur dioxide reduction plan and inspiring
appropriate actions by the provincial, state and federal
governments of Canada and the United States;
Now, therefore be it resolved that the Conference of New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agrees that the acid
deposition phenomenon, given its harmful consequences to the
environment and the economy, is a joint concern for which a
regional approach on research and strategic actions is required;
and
Be it further resolved that the Conference of New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agrees that the state and
provincial atmospheric deposition monitoring efforts and
monitoring data analysis remain a high priority within their
respective programs; and urge their respective federal
governments to continue support for these activities; and
Be it further resolved that the Conference directs its
Environment Committee to:
- hold a workshop prior to the next meeting of New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers to: examine likely
association of acid rain deposition with other atmospheric
problems such as smog, fine particulate matter, and mercury,
and corroborate the connection between acid deposition and
forest health and productivity; and
- evaluate the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop
from a strategic and scientific viewpoint, and to present a
summary of findings and specific policy recommendations at the
next meeting of the Conference of New England Governors and
Eastern Canadian Premiers.
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RESOLUTION--MERCURY
Whereas, mercury is a persistent bioaccumulative toxin that has
required the issuance of fish consumption advisories to protect
public health in the New England states and Eastern Canadian
provinces;
Whereas, mercury is a transboundary air pollutant that calls for
co-ordinated regional, national, and international efforts to
minimize mercury contamination to the environment;
Whereas, the release of mercury into the environment from human
activities and deposition into sensitive ecosystems poses health
threats to children, undermines the productivity and safety of
fisheries, and diminishes the economic benefits of tourism in the
region;
Whereas, submission of the U.S. EPA's Mercury Study to Congress
has been delayed thus holding up the public release of vital data
and findings, the New England states and Eastern Canadian
provinces have undertaken a collaborative effort to characterize
mercury emission sources, transboundary mercury deposition, and
public health impacts from mercury contamination;
Whereas, the U.S. and Canada have jointly agreed in the Bilateral
Air Quality Agreement, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and
Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great
Lakes Basin to control transboundary emissions and to co-operate
on research and development projects to eliminate toxic
substances including mercury;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Conference charges its
Committee on the Environment to:
- continue to advance the understanding of mercury in this region
and support the timely completion of the Northeast/Eastern
Canadian Mercury Study;
- support co-operative action in this region to begin to address
mercury releases and resulting public health and environment
impacts;
- meet with the appropriate experts and officials to share
information on emissions, monitoring, public health and
ecological assessments of mercury and examine pollution
prevention and control opportunities to reduce emissions in New
England and Eastern Canada;
- develop a Mercury Action Plan, based on the outcome of the
meeting, that will incorporate routine updating of the science
and monitoring information for the region and voluntary
approach to reducing emissions and discharges to the
environment;
- present the findings of the meeting and proposed action plan at
the 1998 annual meeting of the NEG/ECP.
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Contact: Kim Thomson
Eastern Canadian Premiers Secretariat
902-424-5905
trp June 4, 1997 - 4:27 p.m.
