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CASF NEWS

Canada’s Source for news &

Information in Surface Finishing

BY BOB SMITH

This edition of Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufac- to government spokespeople, because these costs will
turing Magazine should hit your desks sometime before simply be passed downstream, but industry experts cite
the end of 2020, the year of the pandemic. As I write this, the possibility of passing this level of burden down to
the news on the pandemic front is getting quite gloomy customers, especially OEM automotive customers, as an
with 700 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday in Ontario – impossible dream and say they fear many of them already
the most in a single day since the start of the pandemic – operating on slim margins will get pushed over the edge.
and 799 in Quebec and believed to be rising. Thankfully, The plastics industry and the oil and gas industries will be
notwithstanding the difficulties those affected are dealing hit very hard by this legislation but so will all industries
with, most businesses in our collective industry group are whose members are readers of this magazine.
enjoying a full or mostly full return to a pre-COVID scale Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal minister for environment
of activity. In meetings with industry leaders across North and climate change, has been quoted as saying the CFS
America it seems there is a confidence, backed up by order will diversify the economy and promote investment in
sheets, of an almost full return to work, which has to be clean solutions. But many who will bear the brunt of this
excellent news for all. If the current ramp up of the pan- new tax are less enthralled. Although the government says
demic is kept under control, this could signal the beginnings this new CFS is complementary to the carbon tax, it is
of a far better year in 2021 for Canadian business. actually in addition to existing carbon pricing. John Ivison,
There are no new pressing regulatory matters at the writing in the National Post, quotes Bob Masterson,
moment that have not already discussed in my previous President of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada,
columns. This, of course, is very good news for all the En- as saying the CFS “Will be a disastrous policy.”
vironmental Management staff out there working diligently Wilkinson is said to have requested an internal study to
to keep up with the stream of updates and requirements in find out the break point – the price beyond which people
this area. If you need any help in this regard, we have would be motivated to move away from fossil fuels. Figures
CASF board members and members at large as well as our released last year show that Canada is on course to fail to
professional service provider group who are all here to meet its Paris Agreement target by 77 megatonnes or 15
help. Call on us at www.casf.ca. percent in 2030, but in his mandate letter, the Prime Minister
Due to the fact that we are in a time defined by this urged Wilkinson to meet or exceed that target and Wilkin-
pandemic, even September’s Throne Speech did not really son has been said to have taken that message to heart.
touch on environmental regulatory matters, as there is still Certainly, for Canada to even meet, let alone exceed its
a large focus on protecting Canadians from the Pandemic. Paris target, Ottawa will have to curtail the expansion of
As it stands now, we continue to engage with our govern- the oilsands and more. We have heard of cases of indus-
ment partners to monitor regulatory proposals that will try-involved readers of the CFCM magazine who are in the
change our members’ compliance obligations. This includes, process of appealing this pending economically crushing
but is not limited to NPRI (National Pollutant Release legislation, and we are following that closely.
Inventory), Metal Finishers Industry Standard, OBPS (Out- In good news, the Institute for Supply Management,
put-based Pricing System), EPS (Emissions Performance (ISM), has reported that U.S. manufacturing activity accel-
Standards - new to Ontario), chromium regulations, erated to a near two-year high in August, aided by a surge
PFAS/PFOS, water taking, (refers to gaining government in new orders. Employment remains low but this is the
approval to draw groundwater from wells), hazardous natural delay which is being closed by the increase in new
waste, and others. business and has strengthened expectations for a significant
One issue of emerging great concern for medium-to- end to the third quarter.
large businesses in Canada is the pending but inevitable CASF is in the beginning stages of planning an online
introduction of the Canadian Fuel Standard (CFS) that is “Introduction to Electroplating” course either in the Fall or
destined to become a large and additional drain on the early in the New Year. The course and exam, which ran
cashflow of Canadian industry. Industry can expect a dou- for 1.5 days last Fall concurrent with our CASF Conference,
ble-digit percentage increase in energy costs, just to start, and which earned the successful attendees a certificate of
that will quickly increase. The increase is justified, according accomplishment, proved to be very popular and we have

14 CAnADIAn FInISHInG & COATInGS MAnuFACTuRInG nOvEMbER/DECEMbER 2020