Canada Now Enforcing North American ECA

The Honourable Denis Lebel says aligning its regulations with the U.S. "is the logical thing to do."

Canadian officials today said the country is now enforcing the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA), and also announced further measures to prevent other ship-source pollution in Canadian waters.

"The changes we are announcing today will help make our oceans and lakes cleaner by reducing ship emissions," said Minister of Transport The Honourable Denis Lebel.

"Since vessels from Canada and the United States routinely travel in both countries' waters, aligning our regulations is the logical thing to do."

Vessels operating within the ECA, a zone effectively covering 200 nautical miles from the U.S. and Canada coastline, must use a marine fuel with a sulfur content not exceeding 1.00 percent by weight.

The U.S. has been enforcing the ECA since it came into effect on August 1, 2012, but Transport Canada said ahead of time that its enforcement would be "delayed by a few months" as "significant additional discussions" were required.

In today's statement, Transport Canada said that new standards will reduce allowable emissions of key air pollutants from ships, and by 2020, emissions of sulphur oxide will be reduced by 96 percent and nitrogen oxides by 80 percent.

A new air emissions regime for Canadian vessels operating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence waters will support industry efforts to modernise their fleet while phasing in the strictest sulphur oxide standards by 2020, it said.

Other measures adopted today include updated requirements for the transfer of oil between tankers, that were said to align Canadian requirements with International Maritime Organization (IMO) pollution prevention standards.