Certificates of Approval (CofA) are permits regulating emissions of substances into the environment and are required by law in Ontario. This includes emissions from stacks such as combustion gases or by-products of venting industrial processes. Also included is the venting of combustion gases from heating units for plants or major residential and office complexes.
CofA permits must be approved before operation of the emitting sources commences, that is, befor commissioning of a building, or a renovation. To apply for a CofA you need to demonstrate that the impacts of your emissions are below provincial standards at your facility’s property-line; provincial standards vary according to substance emitted.
If a CofA already exists, the law requires an up-date to account for production increases, altered ingredients or upgraded boilers, for example. Many sources that you might not be aware of may also require a CofA: For example, gas-fired comfort heating for large residential buildings or office towers (greater than 1.5 MMBTU/hr heat input) require CofAs as do gas-fired units of any heat input capacity used for purposes other than space heating.
Applying for a CofA, or up-dating an existing one, is a complex process requiring expertise in air pollutant dispersion modelling and the interpretation of point-of-impingement results. Lay-persons may have some difficulty in processing applications, resulting in a waste of human and financial resources.
Airzone One has many years experience in air quality issures and CofA applications for various industries. Airzone One also assesses indoor air quality and occupational exposures and assists facilities with emissions requiring reporting under Provincial (O. Reg 127) and federal (NPRI) regulations. Very often the best time to conduct the impact analysis is during the design stage so that potential problems can be addressed in this stage of a development.
If you require assistance with air emissions regulatory compliance please contact Dr. Franco Di-Giovanni, PhD @ 905-890-6957 ext. 102 or by email.