Over the past 5 years, our experience with Approvals includes working with the industry and the regulators on the development and evaluation of Applications for Alternate Air Standards (Technology Based Standards) within the context of Ontario Reg. 419. 

On November 30, 2005, the MOE introduced a new comprehensive regulatory framework, O.Reg.419/05: Air Pollution - Local Air Quality, that replaced the old Regulation 346.   EHS has worked separately with the MOE and the private sector (Industry Trade Associations) on Alternative Air Standards and Technology Benchmarking.  During this time, EHS has produced:

·       Reports on the assessment of various individual facilities’ applications for an Alternative Air Standard under O.Reg. 419/05.  This included expert engineering advice on a variety of technologies that were considered by the facilities and included opinions from expert engineers from Canada and USA.  We reviewed and audited applications for the following industry sectors: plastics resin; petroleum refineries and integrated iron & steel plants.

·       A Profile of Ontario Foundries, prepared for the Ontario MOE (in collaboration with O2E Inc.);

·       Foundry Sector Technology Benchmarking Report, prepared for the Canadian Foundry Association (in collaboration with O2E Inc.);

Our experience with standard development includes working with the private sector and regulators: 

The development of Technology Based Standards for management of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions has been carried out since early 1990s for: 

1.     The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) - EHS developed detailed reports that form the basis for regulatory standards for VOC emissions from several industry sectors in Ontario: metal parts; plastic foam products and printing.  In the course of this work, EHS carried out technical and economic assessments of numerous technologies and held extensive consultations with industry.

2.     Industry Trade Associations - EHS assisted with the development of position papers that provided input to the regulators vis-a-vis the development of Technology Based Standards.  This was based on a comprehensive independent analysis of available technologies and included recommendations for a preferred Standard.

3.     Environment Canada - EHS developed 5 Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Standards and a Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Guideline for VOC emissions.

·       Automotive Coatings-Original Equipment Manufacturing;

·       Automotive Refinish (CCME Product and Operating Standards);

·       Automotive Parts Coating Operations (Product and Operating Standard),

·       Wood Finishing (CCME Product and Operating Standards);

·       Industrial Maintenance Coatings (CCME Product and Operating Standards); and

·       The “Guidelines for Volatile Organic Compounds in Consumer Products”.

© Environmental Health Strategies Inc. (2011)