Canada proposes greenhouse-gas exemptions

OTTAWA, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The Canadian government is proposing to exempt up to 10 million tons of greenhouse gases under a plan that would help the upstream oil and gas sector.

Companies would benefit from the proposed regulatory plan to fight global warming, Canwest News Service reported.

Although the government has pledged to crack down on pollution and reduce annual emissions by 150 million tons by 2020, a new proposal would exclude facilities that produce less than 10,000 barrels of oil per day.

An Environment Canada paper -- "Minimum Thresholds for the Greenhouse Gas Regulations" -- estimates these facilities represent about 20 percent of the emissions from the sector or the equivalent of 5 million to 10 million tons of carbon dioxide.