The MOECC has published a Policy Proposal Notice on the Environmental Registry (EBR #012-4168) proposing updated guidance on technical requirements that support the ministry’s risk framework for air standards, site-specific standard, technical standards and Upper Risk Thresholds (URTs) under the Local Air Quality Regulation (O. Regulation 419/05 : Air Pollution – Local Air Quality) made under the Environmental Protection Act.
The Purpose of the Policy:
“This “Guideline for the Implementation of Air Standards” (GIASO) describes the framework to manage risks under the local air quality regulation. It was primarily written to provide guidance on the site-specific standard compliance approach (formerly referred to as alternative, altered, or alteration of standards process) under the regulation but also describes how Upper Risk Thresholds (URTs) set out in Schedule 6 of the regulation are part of the framework to manage risks.
GIASO should be used in conjunction with other guidance documents such as the “Procedure for Preparing an Emission Summary and Dispersion Modelling Report” and the “Air Dispersion Modelling Guideline for Ontario” (ADMGO) and applicable technical bulletins.
Highlights of the proposed updates include:
- Changes from regulatory amendments in 2009 and 2011 including renumbering of sections (particularly sections related to the site-specific standards process), change in terminology, etc. (see EBR Registry Number: 011-3088);
- An updated description of Ontario’s standard setting process and the ministry’s framework to manage risks;
- Addition of reference to tools to assess cost-effectiveness;
- Addition of general information on the technical standard compliance approach, which was introduced in 2009;
- Clarification of expectations for new facilities;
- Removal of risk scoring methodology (information transferred to “Guide to Requesting Site-Specific Standards” – currently titled “Guide to Requesting an Alternative Standard”); and
- Other changes to improve clarity on expectations of what should be included in the reports and/or submitted.”
Comments to this EBR post are due: February 16, 2016
