MOECC Decision to proceed on accounting for cumulative air quality levels in air emissions permits

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has decided to proceed with formally accounting for cumulative air quality levels in selected air approvals. As a first step, it will begin with ECAs that include the contaminants benzene and benzo[a]pyrene in the Hamilton/Burlington area and benzene in the Sarnia/Corunna area. The ministry’s modelling has preliminarily identified these “stressed airsheds” as exceeding the ministrys ambient air quality criteria (AAQCs) for these contaminants.

The ministry will impose additional requirements for new or expanding facilities, located within these stressed airsheds, emitting these substances. Depending on the level of general exceedance in the areas (not attributed to a specific facility) there are increasing requirements proposed for all facilities emitting, ranging from simple continual monitoring by the MECP to emissions control technology benchmarking to implement Best Available Control Technologies (BACT) compared to other facilities in North America.

This policy will apply to applications for ECAs that are submitted after October 1, 2018.

Contact Airzone for assistance – For more information on the possible consequences of these changes on your compliance status please contact:
Farida Dehghan Ph.D., P.Eng., ext. 110, fdehghan[at]airzoneone.com