Table Of ContentSTOPPING
WATER POLLUTION
AT ITS SOURCE
MISA
Municipal/Industrial Shutegy for Abatement
ISSUES RESOLUTION PROCESS
FINAL REPORT
SUMMARY
September 1991
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M953 Environment
1991
Environnement
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ISSUES RESOLUTION PROCESS
FINAL REPORT
SUMMARY
SEPTEMBER 1991
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MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
PREFACE
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment initiated the Municipal-Industrial Strategy for
Abatement (MISA) Program in 1986. MISA was originally designed as a regulatory program
to reduce water pollution from both industrial and municipal dischargers; the ultimate goal was
to virtually eliminate persistent (long-lasting) toxic contaminants from all discharges into
Ontario's waterways.
Initially, technology-based effluent limits were to be imposed on each discharger as a minimum
pollution control requirement. In addition, more stringent effluent limits were to be
superimposed on dischargers on a site-specific basis to protect sensitive waterbodies receiving
the discharge.
Early in 1990, special working groups called Issue Resolution Committees (IRCs) were formed
that included representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, industry and municipalities;
Environment Canada and the MISA Advisory Committee were observers. These committees
were asked to review proposals on how to develop effluent limits. The general development
process outlined in the original White Paper of 1986 remained; the IRC proposals were designed
to provide more detailed guidelines.
In June 1990, the IRCs completed their review and submitted their reports to the ministry.
Interested parties, including environmental groups and Remedial Action Plan Public Advisory
Committees, were then asked by the minister to examine the IRC proposals and offer comments
and suggestions.
As a result, the ministry received 25 submissions, representing 44groups and individuals. Their
comments and concerns were carefully assessed, along with the original recommendations of the
IRCs, during the ministry's decision-making process.
This document presents a summary"' of the MISA issues resolution process, the public comments
received and the ministry's decisions on the procedures and criteria that will guide effluent limits
regulation development.
This summary document is comprised of four sections:
Section I presents background information on MISA, including activities to date, and contains
a description of the effluent limits development process.
- i -
MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
0 Section 11 provides details about the issues resolution process as well as the issues which the
IRCs addressed in their reports.
Section III presents a summary of the public comments received on the IRC documents.
Section 1V presents the ministry's standardized procedures and criteria that will be used to
develop effluent limits for the industrial sectors.
"' For complete details on the Issues Resolution Process, refer to the document titled "Issues
Resolution Process -- Final Report" (Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 1991).
ENTERED
JUL U 3 20x3
MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
MOE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Standards Dndopment Branch
LIBRARY
PREFACE
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ii
INTRODUCTION
I
1
Background
I
The Effluent Limits Development Process
2
11 THE ISSUES RESOLUTION PROCESS 4
The Issues 4
The Process 4
III PUBLIC REVIEW COMMENTS 6
Overview of Comments Received 6
Nature of Comments 6
Key Concepts in Program Critique Comments 9
IV STANDARD PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
I I
Introduction
11
Standard Procedures and Criteria
1 1
MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
1
Background
The ultimate goal of MISA is the virtual elimination of toxic contaminants from all
discharges into Ontario's waterways.
The process to develop technology-based effluent limits, as described in the MISA White
Paper of 1986, involved two phases. In the first phase, effluent monitoring regulations were
developed which required dischargers to monitor their effluents at their source-point at regular
intervals, using specific sampling, analytical, quality control and quality assurance protocols and
procedures. (monitoring was completed in August 1991)
The second stage, as originally envisioned, involved the development and implementation
of effluent limits for each of the industrial and municipal sectors, on a sector-by-sector basis,
using data collected under the monitoring regulations. The limits were to be based on the "best
available technology economically achievable", BAT(EA).
The MISA program currently includes polluters that discharge directly into Ontario's
waterways, including industrial direct dischargers and municipal sewage treatment works, as
outlined below:
Industrial direct dischargers in the following sectors:
Petroleum Refining
Organic Chemicals Manufacturing
Iron and Steel
Mining
Pulp and Paper
Inorganic Chemicals
Metal Casting
Electric Power Generation
Industrial Minerals
Municipal Sewage Treatment Works
In addition, approximately 12,000 industries currently discharging into municipal sewer
systems will be regulated under MISA through the Sewer Use Control Program.
1
MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
To date, monitoring regulations for all nine industrial sectors have become law;
monitoring activities have been completed. Now, the ministry is ready for the second phase:
developing effluent limits regulations for the industrial sectors.
In August 1989, approval was given to develop the MISA Municipal Program. This
includes regulations for sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the Sewer Use Control Program.
Part of the process to develop STP regulations involves estimating costs for municipalities
to comply with various regulation requirements-- for example, no acute (short-term) toxicity in
effluents. Discussions with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs have indicated that at least half
of Ontario's municipalities will have difficulty to meet the costs. The Ministries of the
Environment and Municipal Affairs are continuing to meet to develop strategies to financially
assist municipalities.
Earlier, in September 1988, the ministry had published a discussion paper, "Controlling
Industrial Discharges to Sewers", outlining the ministry's proposals for reducing industrial
contaminants entering receiving waters through municipal sewerage systems.
As a follow-up, many activities have been initiated to prepare stakeholders for the
program, including demonstration projects in five municipalities (to establish municipal
enforcement practices), and training courses covering all aspects of sewer use by-law
enforcement.
As well, the ministry is assisting a number of municipalitiesto adopt and implement the
1988-revised model sewer user by-law. Enforcing of the by-law involves these municipalities
in many of the functions that will be required under a sewer use control regulation.
The Effluent Limits Development Process
Regulations specifying effluent limits will be imposed on each of the nine industrial
sectors and the municipal sector. These regulations will be developed with recommendations
from Joint Technical Committees (JTCs) specific to each industrial sector, and include
representatives of the ministry, industry, and municipalities (Environment Canada and members
of the MISA Advisory Committee also participated at the JTC meetings as observers.)
2
MISA Issues Resolution Process FINAL REPORT SUMMARY
When the draft effluent limits regulation (and the development document for the draft
regulation, which contains the technical rationale supporting the regulation requirements) has
been completed for each sector, it is submitted by the JTC to the Minister of the Environment.
The Minister then requests that the M1SA Advisory Committee review the draft
regulation. After incorporating changes suggested by the committee, the Minister will release
the draft regulation (along with the supporting documents) to the public for review and critique.
This process allows all affected stakeholders -- particularly the public -- an opportunity
to comment on the regulation before it becomes law.
The process for developing effluent limits was set out in the 1986 MISA White Paper.
Each step in the process requires the application of scientifically-sound and defensible procedures
and criteria. In most cases, these procedures and criteria have already been developed in other
jurisdictions. However, the JTCs need further direction as to the specific -- the standard --
approach to be taken in developing effluent limits specifically for Ontario, and that can be
consistently applied to all sectors.
The issues resolution process was undertaken to provide that direction.
The process has established standardized procedures and criteria for each step in the
effluent limits development process. The standardization of procedures and criteriaensures that
key concepts are not open to interpretation during the limit-setting exercise. More importantly,
the standardized procedures and criteria give clear and specific guidelines to the JTCs as they
draft Effluent Limits Regulation requirements.
The consistency inherent in the use of standardized procedures and criteria also assures
the development of equitable effluent limits across all sectors.
3
