In brief : setting air quality standards in Ontario

3 Pages·1999·0.72 MB·English

In Drief November
Ontario
1999
O'\)
Ministry of the Environment programs and initiatives
Setting Air Quality Standards
in Ontario
trong environmental quality standards, standards used by the ministry, provided an
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based on up-to-date scientific findings, overview of the standards-setting process
form the foundation of the Ministry of the and listed the priorities for developing new
Environment's programs for protecting or revised standards. The plan was posted
The ministry has human health and safeguarding natural on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) elec-
posted its revised and ecosystems. tronic registry on October 10, 1996 for a 60-
updated procedures We set two kinds of standards to protect day comment period and was widely distrib-
for setting provincial air quality. Ambient air quality criteria uted to interested groups and individuals.
air standards to the (AkQC) are used to assess the general quality Since the release of the plan, we have
Environmental Bill of of the air, while point of impingement (P01) worked extensively with business representa-
Rights registry for limits are used, primarily, to review applica- tives and public interest groups to design a
public comment. tions for certificates of approval issued under process for developing air standards that is
New standards for 10 the Environmental Protection Act and to con- more open and accessible. The generic
trol air emissions from individual sources of process has been modified to allow for for-
high priority air pollu-
pollution. mal consultation and input throughout. The
tants are currently
The generic term "standard" refers to any setting of standards for air now follows a
under development,
of our guidelines, objectives, criteria or other multi-step process which incorporates the
while the limits for 15
kinds of limits placed on the presence or dis- key elements of priority setting, risk assess-
lower priority air stan-
charge of a contaminant into the natural ment, risk management and public consulta-
dards are in the environment. Other provincial standards tion. This ensures that the full range of sci-
- process of being reaf- address water pollutants, drinking water entific issues and perspectives are considered
firmed at their current quality, the contamination of soils and sedi- in setting any new air standard.
values. ments, the allowable levels of toxic chemicals Following the initial priority-setting stage,
in plants and animals and other environmen- risk assessment and risk management infor-
tal concerns. mation relevant to establishing a standard for
Ontario's environmental standards are a particular compound is documented in an
based on the best scientific information avail- information draft and made available for
able and are set to protect the most sensitive review through the EBR Registry This pro-
receptors. Where there is uncertainty vides affected groups and individuals, as well
regarding the risk posed by a contaminant, as the public, with the opportunity to pro-
the standards-setting process exercises cau- vide any additional information they feel
tion in favour of stronger environmental pro- should be considered by the ministry in set-
tection. ting the air quality standard.
Setting a point of impingement standard
A new process for setting is a risk management policy decision which
air standards integrates information about the potential
'jn 1996, the Ministry of the Environment for adverse effects with considerations of
released its standards-setting plan for public economic cost and technical feasibility. The
adoption of formal risk management in the
comment. The plan described the types of
Ministry of the Environment
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In Brief
process for setting air standards provides for dards or exposure limits used by a number of
greater flexibility, fairness, economic efficien- other regulatory agencies, including the U.S.
cy and effectiveness in achieving strong envi- Environmental Protection Agency and the
ronmental protection goals. State of California. On the basis of that
review, we are proposing that 75 of the
Progress to date: Group 2 air standards be reaffirmed at their
acting on priorities present values.
Many of Ontario's air standards were estab- Details of the review process and ratio-
lished more than 20 years ago. Since that nales for each of the 75 air standards being
time, the science of risk assessment has reaffirmed, are available in a supplementary
report, entitled Reviewing Ontario's Air
advanced significantly. Accordingly, we have
launched a process to review and update its Standards, which is available online with the
existing air quality standards to ensure that EBR Registry posting.
they are current and protective of human
identifying new substances for
and ecosystem health.
air standards
Since 1996, we have undertaken an evalu-
ation of each of our air standards and, based To ensure environmental protection, many
on that evaluation, have assigned each stan- jurisdictions have developed processes to
dard to one of two priority groups for future screen new substances for their environmen-
development Substances placed in Group tal impact These assessments may be based
1
are considered high priority candidates for on the available scientific literature, experi-
revision due to their toxicity, their presence ence in other jurisdictions and work that has
For copies of Setting
and persistence in the environment, the been done in the field of occupational
Environmental Quality
quantities released or the potential for expo- health. Standards in Ontario, or
sure to sensitive receptors. The Group 1 If an application for a certificate of for more information
standards are currently being reviewed, using approval makes reference to a substance for on our standards-
our new risk-based standards-setting process. which we have no formal standard or guide- setting programs,
The report Setting Environmental Quality line, we will review the available toxicological contact the:
Standards in Ontario describes the progress data and provide a site-specific assessment of Public Information
made to date in reviewing the 70 high priori- the substance's predicted ground-level con- Centre
ty substances included in Group 1. We have centration. Ministry of the
completed work on risk assessments for nine Environment
of those standards, and information drafts Public consultation continues 1 35 St Clair Ave. W.,
main floor,
have been published for 1 8 additional sub- Due to the extensive changes made to Toronto, ON M4V1P5
stances. Proposals for standards for these Ontario's air standards-setting process,
substances are expected to be posted on the Setting Environmen to! Quality Standards in Tel: [phone]
EBR Registry later this fall. Several of the Ontario is being made available as a consul- (toll-free)
Group 1 standards are being developed in tation draft. Interested groups and members or 416-325-4000
co-operation with other governments in of the public are invited to submit their com- (in Toronto)
Internet: http://
Canada, either under the Canada-wide stan- ments, recommendations and any additional
www.ene .gov.on.ca
dards initiative of the Canadian Council of information they feel should be considered
Ministers of the Environment or by a federal- as we move forward in developing and
provincial working group. updating Ontario's environmental quality
Meanwhile, all the current standards for standards.
Group 2 substances have been newly
assessed against published guidelines, stan-
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