Environmental Approvals Reform: The third wave of Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (permit by rule) sectors are now under evaluation: small electricity generators, cooling towers for comfort cooling and retail dust collection. If approved, these activities would no longer require environmental compliance approvals under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act.
Environmental Activity and Sector Registry Technical Discussion Papers for Small Electricity Generators, Evaporative Cooling Equipment (Cooling Towers) and Dust Collection Systems at Retail Locations (Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990) have been posted at EBR Registry Number: 011-6615. Each of the new sectors will be narrow. Exempt generators, for example, must be less than 250 kW, located in off-grid locations, and burn only gasoline, bio-diesel, diesel, natural gas or propane. The cooling towers must be used only for comfort cooling, not for manufacturing or processing. The dust collectors must be only at retail stores, and may be further restricted to hardware/ home improvement stores, where the emission is at least 50 m from the property boundary.
Comments may be submitted until January 14, 2013. Regulations will be proposed if, following the consultation, the MOE decides to actually add these three sectors to EASR.
The sectors already covered by EASR are:
As of October 31, 2011
- Heating systems (O. Reg. 346/12)
- Standby power systems (O. Reg. 346/12)
- Automotive refinishing facilities (O. Reg. 347/12)
As of November 18, 2012
- Commercial printing facilities (O. Reg. 349/12)
- Small ground-mounted solar facilities (O. Reg. 350/12)
- Non-hazardous waste transportation systems (O. Reg. 351/12)