Monitoring Air and Water of Vital Importance, says Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner
Toronto, February 10, 2005 – The data collected by the province’s environmental monitoring systems are vitally important not only to the government, but to the public as well, said Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO). In a ceremony held today at Grenadier Hall in Toronto’s High Park, 146 staff members from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) were presented with 2004 ECO Recognition Awards to acknowledge their work on the ministry’s ambient environmental monitoring networks, which collect, analyze and report on data on the province’s air, water and ecosystems.
“Ecological monitoring programs demonstrate their true value only when data are collected and analysed over the long run,” said Commissioner Miller, who oversees compliance by provincial ministries with the Environmental Bill of Rights. “This award recognizes MOE staff who have had the foresight and vision to protect and maintain these programs over a number of years in spite of shifting government priorities.”
In the last few years, MOE has established the Ontario benthos biomonitoring network, which assesses the condition of Ontario’s aquatic ecosystems. The network collects data, for example, on which species of insects is present in sediment layers, which can give a good indication of water quality and the levels of contaminants such as mercury or lead. Other long-standing programs monitor contaminants in sport fish, assess the nutrient status of 500 inland lakes, and provide comprehensive monitoring of the Great Lakes on a lake-by-lake basis over time. The data collected from these networks are then used to establish baselines and trends, identify sources of contamination, and support government decisions on the environment. In a number of cases, the data are also summarized and published on a regular basis as important public reports, such as the “Air Quality in Ontario” series or the “Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish.”
“Clean air, water and soil are among the most important things we can leave to future generations,” said Commissioner Miller. “Climate change, invasive alien species, air emissions, discharges to waterways – all of these threats can seriously jeopardize our aquatic and land ecosystems. It’s important that MOE staff understand the complexity of these ecosystems and it’s essential that they base their understanding on reliable monitoring networks. Without such programs, we cannot accurately measure whether we are making progress in protecting the environment.”
For further information, contact:
Liz Guccione, Communications
Tel: (416) 325-3371
Toll-free public inquiry line: 1-800-701-6454
E-mail:
media@eco.on.ca