Jim Bradley has been hailed as Ontario’s toughest environment minister (1985-1990, 2013-2014). He introduced a Spills Bill and abatement program to protect water, strengthened the Environmental Protection Act and launched the Countdown Acid Rain program that required the province’s biggest emitters to reduce their emissions by 64 percent. He also played a crucial role in establishing the Greenbelt, phasing out coal in Ontario and saving the Niagara Escarpment Commission. As a testament to his environmental leadership, Jim won a United Nations environmental award for expanding the Blue Box recycling program province-wide.