e-3404 (Transportation)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Vessel traffic in Canadian waters has increased significantly in the past decades putting greater strain on coastal communities and ecosystems;
• Rather than using cleaner low-sulfur fuels, many vessels in Canadian waters employ Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) in order to continue to use heavy fuel oils;
• EGCS use is more harmful to the environment than switching to a low-sulfur fuel. While decreasing the sulfur content of the exhaust plume, EGCS increase other air pollutants of concern, such as particulate matter, and black carbon as well as greenhouse gases;
• The washwater produced by EGCS contains known carcinogens and heavy metals, and is highly thermal and acidic;
• Section 111(4) of Canada’s Vessel Pollution & Dangerous Chemicals Regulations (VPDC Regulations) permits vessels to use EGCS in Canadian waters;
• The use of EGCS results in the annual discharge of billions of litres of washwater off the coast of British Columbia alone; and
• Many countries around the world have restricted or prohibited the use of EGCS and required vessels to use cleaner low-sulfur fuels instead.