Notification of Changes Proposed to the
NPRI for the 2003 Reporting Year

January 2002

Proposed Changes

Environment Canada (EC) is advising Canadian stakeholders interested in the National Pollutant Release Inventory that it is considering additions and/or modifications to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) program for the 2003 reporting year and future reporting years. Some of these substances/issues will be considered for the 2003 reporting year; however, the remainder would be considered for future reporting years. EC will priorize these substances/issues in consultation with the NPRI Work Group. A summary of the substances/issues¹ for consideration include:

• The requirement for reporting of Criteria Air Contaminants (e.g. sulphur dioxide, PM₁₀, etc.) data elements (e.g. speciation of volatile organic compounds) and reporting from specific sectors (e.g. Upstream Oil & Gas sector).
   
  
• The addition of greenhouse gases to the NPRI list (e.g. CO₂ , methane, hydrofluorocarbons, etc.)
   
  
• The addition of substances under assessment or declared to be toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999).
  

  A number of CEPA Toxic substances are already on the NPRI list. Environment Canada will propose the addition of additional toxic substances and the lowering of thresholds for some NPRI-listed substances (e.g. nickel and its compounds).

  
   
• The identification of specific ranges of alternate reporting thresholds (ATH) for substances added to the NPRI list of substances at thresholds other than the 10- tonne reporting threshold that applied to NPRI substances from 1993 to 1999.
  

  In response to the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Work Group on Substances (1998-2000), Environment Canada is developing a proposed framework to screen proposed substances for listing at alternate thresholds. This proposed framework is intended to allow screening of substances for listing at ATHs, and will identify the types and levels of ATHs. The framework document will be put forward for review and discussion by stakeholders.

  
   
• The addition of substances referred for future consideration by the NPRI Work Group on Substances (2001-2002) in its first report to Environment Canada.

  Additional information on these substances is provided in the First Report of the NPRI Work Group on Substances (2001-2002).

  
   
• Other issues, including but not necessarily limited to: alloy exemptions for vanadium and its compounds and other metals and the consideration of the activities list requiring reporting of dioxins and furans.
   
  
• Many of the proposed substances or issues for consideration will also address the substances of concern on the Ontario "Airborne Contaminants Discharge - Monitoring and Reporting" regulation that are not on the NPRI. This will help to ensure greater harmonization between the NPRI program and the Ontario regulation.

Many of the substances under consideration are related to more than one of the issues identified above (for example, the addition of greenhouse gases is also proposed under harmonization with the Ontario regulations). Environment Canada will coordinate proposals to ensure that reporting requirements and thresholds proposed for these substances are established at appropriate levels.

Consultative Approach

Environment Canada has established a multi-stakeholder Work Group on Substances which has a 2-year mandate to address modifications to the NPRI. The Terms of Reference for the Work Group are available on the NPRI web site (www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri).

The first year of the NPRI Work Group mandate has been completed. The NPRI Work Group provided recommendations to Environment Canada for the 2002 reporting year on the addition of Criteria Air Contaminants (e.g. sulphur dioxide, PM₁₀ etc.), the addition of hexavalent chromium, lowering of the thresholds for cadmium (and its compounds), lead (and its compounds) and arsenic (and its compounds), removal of phosphoric acid, the addition of an effluent based trigger for wastewater facilities, and others.

The first meeting of the NPRI Work Group on Substances (2001-2002) for the second year of its mandate is tentatively scheduled for March 4^th and 5^th, 2001 in Ottawa, Ontario.

A facilitator has coordinated, on behalf of Environment Canada, the selection of representatives for the Work Group from industry, governments and non-government environmental, health and labour organizations and from aboriginal groups.

Canadian stakeholders may participate in these stakeholder consultations in a number of ways:

• they may seek to represent a stakeholder group or organization on the Work Group. Work Group members are required to represent the special interests of a stakeholder group, to consult with their own stakeholders on issues under consideration by the Work Group and to represent these special interests to the Work Group.
   
  
• they can request to be added to the stakeholder consultation list to directly receive the draft Work Group reports and other consultative documents and can provide comments. Their views will be forwarded to the Work Group members for consideration.
   
  
• they can consult the NPRI web site and provide comments on the consultative documents. All Work Group draft reports and recommendations will be posted on the NPRI web site. In addition, the CEPA Registry will have a link from its consultative page directly to the NPRI consultative page. All stakeholders will be able to provide their views and comments on draft reports and these comments will be forwarded to Work Group members for consideration.

For more information:

The NPRI Office
Consultations and Outreach
Tel: (819) 953-1656
Fax: (819) 994-3266
e-mail: NPRImodif@ec.gc.ca
Web address: www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri

Substances* and Issues for Consideration by the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) Work Group on Substances (2001- 2002) and Sources of Referral /Listing

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