Younger: Conference on Mercury Highlights NDP Failures

July 24, 2011

(Halifax, NS) Liberal environment critic Andrew Younger says the NDP decision to push back mercury emission targets last year has sullied the province’s reputation on an international scale and put the health of Nova Scotians at risk.

Younger says this embarrassment to Nova Scotia will be front and centre as Halifax hosts the "10th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant" conference starting today.

“It’s hard to hold your head high at world conference on the health impacts of mercury pollution when this province's government relaxed emission targets for mercury,” says Younger.  “How can we be taken seriously on environmental matters when changes made by the NDP have increased health risks for Nova Scotians and put our environment in further jeopardy?”

Younger will attend portions of the conference taking place in Halifax from July 24 - 29.  Experts from around the world will be on hand to discuss the dangers of mercury in the environment.

"It's frustrating to see the NDP relax mercury regulations when the technology was already in place to reduce emissions and ratepayers had already paid for the necessary capital upgrades," says Younger. "Mercury accumulates in the environment, in the tissues of humans and other species, and can lead to learning disabilities and other serious health issues which ultimately cost taxpayers money."

The Dartmouth East MLA says that even before pushing back the key mercury emissions target, Nova Scotia was lagging behind other provinces on cutting its output of the hazardous material.

“Every other province signed onto the agreement was able to meet or exceed their targets for mercury emissions from electrical generation,” says Younger, “Nova Scotia did not. Instead, the NDP encouraged Nova Scotia Power to actually increase mercury levels by stopping actions to reduce emissions.”

“The NDP have saddled the next government with this burden because they aren't prepared to take action now. Mercury is a dangerous substance and no future regulations or emission cuts can make up for the damage done over the next few years.”

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