Review The Methyl Bromide Critical Use Exemption Process Under The Montreal Protocol

Distributed to some depository libraries in microfiche.

This volume includes the transcript of the U.S. Congress subcommittee hearing held in June 2003 that discussed the status of the compound methyl bromide as it pertains to the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The Clean Air Act is a U.S. federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level. Methyl bromide (MeBr) is an odorless, colorless gas that has been used as a soil fumigant and structural fumigant to control pests across a wide range of sectors. Because MeBr depletes the stratospheric ozone layer, the amount of MeBr produced and imported in the U.S. was reduced incrementally until it was phased out completely by January 1, 2005, pursuant to the U.S.'s obligation under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act.

This handbook contains the full texts of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, including amendments and decisions adopted by the Parties upto the end of the year 2002, as well as information on the rule of procedure for meetings, the evolution of the Montreal Protocol, and on sources of further information.