Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!twltims
From: twltims@watmath.waterloo.edu (Tracy Tims)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Free Trade: Why is there no 'Plan B'?
Message-ID: <22267@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Date: 18 Nov 88 19:36:40 GMT
References: <410@telly.UUCP> <1826@pembina.UUCP> <6761@watcgl.waterloo.edu> <8811142039.AA19223@harbord.csri.toronto.edu> <6848@watcgl.waterloo.edu>
Reply-To: twltims@watmath.waterloo.edu (Tracy Tims)
Distribution: can
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 20

In article <6848@watcgl.waterloo.edu> lrbartram@watcgl.waterloo.edu (lyn bartram) writes:
>	My personal concern lies in the area of environmental protection.
>Even before the agreement is in place, American companies have already
>demanded a loosening of Canadian restrictions in two crucial areas: 
>emissions and dumping.  The agreement states that each country must accord
>the other's citizens/businesses equal treatment.  I feel that the danger here
>is that we will have to let the Americans do here as they do there - 
>dump and spew.

As far as I can tell (I've read the FTA), there is nothing in it that says
that we have to allow U.S. companies to behave as they do in the United States.
What we have to do (more or less) is allow U.S. companies to behave exactly
as we would allow Canadian companies behave.  There are however, a number
of articles which require the eventual harmonization of U.S. and Canadian
standards on a wide range of issues, including pesticide certification and
testing, and other environmental issues.  The articles do not say HOW the
harmonization should take place, nor does it give deadlines or penalties.

The risk lies in the pressure U.S. interests will be able to bring to bear
through their economic links.