In Ontario, if a facility discharges or emits any contaminants to the environment, the facility is required, according to the Environmental Protection Act, to operate under either an Environmental Compliance Approval, or, Environmental Activity and Sector Registry.
As an environmental compliance consultancy, we have helped clients obtain these approvals for over 20 years. Currently, ECA permits (previously Certificates of Approval or CofAs), are approvals that cover activities that affect air, waste and noise and are required for facilities with specific NAICS codes. ECAs can either be site-wide or have limited operational flexibility within a prescribed operational envelope. We are the foremost environmental compliance consultants in Ontario
If a facility does not have a NAICS code that requires an ECA, the facility will have to register their air and noise emissions with an EASR permit approval.
Note that generators, cooling towers and comfort heating systems (among a number of activities) may be exempt from any approval if they meet certain specifications.
How we help you in ECAs and EASR:
- Step 1 – We have an initial consultation with the client. At this time we set up a site visit to provide an environmental compliance inspection and familiarize ourselves with processes and activities at the facility – this enables us to provide a cost estimate for the work.
- Step 2 – Gather chemical data from SDSs, quantities of product used, and, information from equipment specifications.
- Step 3 – Perform calculations to estimate emissions from information gathered during step.
- Step 4 – Run a screening model (air and noise) using site specific data.
- Step 5 – (a) If the facility shows compliance, proceed to application package preparation. (b) If not, proceed with full air dispersion modelling (AERMOD/CALPUFF), or, noise dispersion modelling (e.g., full acoustic assessment) may be required.
- Step 6 – Refinements/mitigations may be required if step 5(b) does not show compliance.
- Step 7 – EASRs also require (but not limited to) odour screening and an ESDM report supplement.
- Step 8 – (a) Put an application package together and submit to the MECP for the ECA stream, or, (b) assemble documents for registration on the MECP website for the EASR stream.
