In implementing its mandate, the Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards may publish information on the Environmental Registry, allowing for transparency in the process and increased public participation.  By undertaking additional consultations on standards, regulations, or other drinking water matters, the Council is able to solicit views from stakeholders or the general public in order to provide more fulsome advice and recommendations to the Minister of the Environment.

Tritium is a form of radioactive hydrogen.

Tritium is produced naturally in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with atmospheric gases. Tritium then reaches the earth’s surface via rainfall. The amount of Tritium found in rain water has ranged from below 0.05 Becquerels per Litre to 9 Becquerels per Litre in studies conducted in North America. Levels higher than this range would indicate human-made sources.

Human-made sources of Tritium include nuclear weapon explosions and nuclear reactors used for producing electricity. Tritium is also released by facilities producing glow-in-the-dark signs. These facilities obtain tritiated gas from nuclear facilities.

The Council is consulting with stakeholders and the general public to gain a broader understanding of the range of issues surrounding the current Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standard for Tritium and its potential implications for affected parties, in order to provide advice to the Minister of the Environment.

The Council will schedule presentations to hear from as broad a range of perspectives as possible in the time available. Preference will be given to individuals and organizations who have not met previously with the Council on the topic of Tritium in Drinking Water.

The Council will confirm the list of presenters and the meeting agenda will be posted on the Council's website and distributed to all meeting registrants.

Confirmed presenters are requested to submit advance copies of their presentations to the Council.  Presentations may include written documents (a 5-page maximum is suggested) or PowerPoint presentations.

At the meeting, the presentations will be followed by 5 minutes for questions of clarification from Council Members. The time limit on presentations has been set to enable the Council to hear from as many presenters as possible during the two-day meeting.

For more detailed information on the consultation process, visit the Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards Council's website:

Public Consultation Meeting Dates and Location:

The consultation meeting will be held:

March 26 and 27, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (both days)
The Sutton Place Hotel, Royal Sutton Ballroom
955 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2A2

map 

On February 21, 2007, the Minister of the Environment requested that the Council review and provide advice on the current Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standard for Tritium of 7,000 Becquerels per Litre.

The Council was also requested at that time to take into consideration the 1994 report entitled “A Standard for Tritium” prepared by the former Ontario Advisory Committee on Environmental Standards (ACES), which recommended a Standard of 100 Becquerels per Litre to be further reduced to 20 Becquerels per Litre after 5 years.

Subsequent to this request, on June 12, 2007, the Minister of the Environment also asked that the Council take into account a report entitled “Tritium Hazard Report: Pollution and Radiation Risks from Canadian Nuclear Facilities” released by Greenpeace Canada, and authored by Dr. Ian Fairlie of the UK .

In response to the requests from the Minister of the Environment, the Council formed a Tritium Working Group to assist in its review of the Standard.  To date, the Tritium Working Group has collected, reviewed and analyzed pertinent research and literature on Tritium, undertaken an inter-jurisdictional comparison, attended seminars and workshops, and met with a number of public health, nuclear industry, government, and non-governmental organizations and individuals, including:

• Toronto Public Health
• Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition, Occupational and Environmental Carcinogens Working Group
• Ontario Ministry of Labour's Radiation Protection Service
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Bruce Power
• Ontario Power Generation
• Greenpeace Canada
• Independent Researchers

The Council would now like to hear from the general public, and in particular, citizens groups concerned about Tritium in their local environments, (e.g. nuclear plants, mining industries, and industries that use Tritium for a variety of reasons) as part of the process for developing its advice to the Minister of the Environment.

The purpose of this meeting will be to provide a wide range of organizations and individuals with the opportunity to present their comments on the Tritium Standard for drinking water to the Council.

The Council is particularly interested in answers to the following questions, but will welcome any other comments on the topic of Tritium in drinking water:

• Is the current Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standard for Tritium acceptable?
• If not, what is the basis for finding the current Standard unacceptable?
• If you propose a different Standard, what is your rationale?

You can participate in the Council's Tritium consultation process by:

• Making a 10 minute presentation to the Council on March 26 or 27, 2008
• Attending the consultation meeting on March 26 and/or 27, 2008 and/or
• Providing written comments to the Council by March 28, 2008

The recommendations gleaned from this public consultation meeting will help Ontario ensure that its drinking water meets the dual objective of placing the highest priority on health and safety, while ensuring that implementation is timely, effective and clearly understood by all involved.

Scott Barrett
Executive Assistant
Ministry of the Environment
Advisory Council On Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards
135 St. Clair Avenue West
3rd floor
Toronto Ontrario
M4V1M2
Phone: (416) 212-7596
Fax: (416) 212-7595