Action on Industrial Air Pollutant Emissions

About half of Canada’s air pollution is produced by industry. The plan sets overall national fixed emissions caps for industrial pollutants causing smog and acid rain. 

Emission reductions targets will specify the maximum level of pollutant that can be emitted from a given sector in a given year. These sectoral emissions targets will represent reductions from 2006 emission levels for each pollutant.

National emission caps will be established by adding together all the sectoral emission targets for each pollutant, taking into account the expected growth of each sector.

This will lead to reductions in air pollutant emissions that cause smog and acid rain by up to 55% as early as 2012 compared to 2006 levels.

The caps and targets

Fixed emission caps will be placed on the following air pollutants:

• Nitrogen oxides (NO_x),
• Sulphur oxides (SO_x),
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and
• Particulate matter (PM)

Caps will also be set for certain other pollutants such asmercury emissions from electricity produced by combustion and base metal smelting, and benzene emissions from the refining, natural gas, and iron and steel sectors.

The allocation of sectoral emissions targets among facilities will be determined as the regulations are developed.

The Government will validate the fixed national and sectoral emissions caps for air pollutants with provinces, territories and industry over the next several months, as well as their date of coming into force between 2012 and 2015. This will all be finalized by fall 2007 and will give industry time to make the investments needed to reach their reduction targets.

How industry can comply

Companies will be able to choose the most cost-effective way to meet their regulatory reduction obligations. These options include:

• In-house reductions: Industry can comply by making in-house changes to their processes or by investing in new equipment or technologies that reduce emissions.
  
• A Canada-wide emissions trading system for sulphur oxides (SO_x ) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x ) will be introduced. The rules and administration of this trading system, including the use of offsets, will be determined as the regulations are developed.  Trading will be restricted in areas that have poor air quality to help maintain a level of local or regional air quality.

Enforcement

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 has a number of compliance and penalty provisions and failure by regulated companies to meet any of the requirements set out by the Act or its regulations will be an offence. 

This balanced approach will ensure we protect the environment, clean up the air we breathe and strengthen our position to address transboundary air pollution whileCanada’s economy can continue to grow and prosper.