Ontario is steeped in chemicals and the province needs to take immediate action in reducing toxic emissions and cancer-causing substances in the environment, says a coalition of health and labour groups.

"We think there are just too many carcinogens released in air, water and soil and there's an opportunity here to reduce that," Sarah Miller, co-ordinator and researcher at the Canadian Environmental Law Association and member of the Cancer and the Environment Stakeholder Group, told cbc.ca.

A report released Monday by the stakeholder group, says 59,500 Ontarians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2007 out of 159,900 in Canada. It is projected that by 2020, 91,000 new cancer cases will be diagnosed.

The group, which consists of Cancer Care Ontario, the Registered Nurses of Ontario and the Canadian Cancer Society, among others, aims to improve the regulation of toxic substances which it says are contributing to rising cancer rates in people under 70.

Ontario lags behind U.S., EU

The report, which compares the regulatory strategies regarding the reduction and release of toxic substances in the U.S., Ontario and the EU, finds that "environmental carcinogen use reduction strategy does not exist for Ontario."

"We think there are just too many carcinogens released in air, water and soil and there's an opportunity here to reduce that."—Sarah Miller

Ontario also ranks highest among the provinces in environmental carcinogens released, according to the report.

"In Europe and other places, as we point out in the report, some targeted actions have been taken to reduce carcinogens and they have started to see some results," said Miller.

She said eco-labeling — when toxic chemicals are listed on products — public education campaigns and regulatory requirements to use safer substitutes are all underway in the U.S. and Europe, while Ontario's voluntary regulations have been adopted by few.

In Ontario, "it doesn't rise to a priority for most companies," said Miller.

"People are just concerned in this diverse group that enough hasn't been done. There are many carcinogens widely in use everywhere in Ontario and that there are alternatives — and that we should in good conscience be pursuing those alternatives."

The coalition wants specific changes to be adopted by provincial and federal bodies. These include:

• an integrated provincial regulatory strategy be developed for environmental toxins use reduction
• an arm's length Ontario carcinogen use reduction institute be established that will reduce use of carcinogens by researching substitutes and assisting industry in switching to substitutes
• an environmental carcinogen surveillance strategy be developed that tracks environmentally related cancers and deaths
• carcinogens be reported on annually and classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
• the labels on all consumer products sold in Ontario clearly indicate the presence of carcinogens

The report says that in Ontario there is little collaboration between municipal, provincial and federal governments in controlling the use of toxic substances.

Miller said the coalition has met with members of all three political parties about the report and "each of them has told us that there is going to be something on toxic use reduction in their platforms."

She says she hopes the issue becomes a focal one in the next term of government.