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Air Quality Regulatory Program
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Air Quality Regulatory Program 

The purpose of Metro Vancouver's air quality regulatory program is to deliver fair, efficient and effective regulatory services to support the region’s air quality management plan through the administration of bylaws which includes the issuance of permits, compliance promotion and enforcement. The regulation of emissions from industrial, commercial and institutional stationary sources aims to minimize emissions, thereby avoiding adverse health impacts and environmental degradation.

Industrial and commercial air contaminants
Under Air Quality Management Bylaw No. 1082, Metro Vancouver uses a permitting system to manage the nature and quantity of air emissions from large emitters of air contaminants. In addition, Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1083 details the calculation of fees payable by permit holders.

Industrial and commercial operations are charged a fee to fully cover the costs of monitoring and the compliance process as well as to provide an incentive for reducing emissions. Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1083 details the calculation of fees payable by permit holders.  For those permitted industry who wish to continue to participate in the Measured Discharge Program, the Application Form must be submitted annually by March 31st to be eligible.  An Application Form can be found in the Resources Section on this page.

Stack test data from permitted companies
All Permittees are required to properly maintain emission control works and follow procedures required to reduce emissions. Certain permittees are required to perform stack testing at specified times and submit reports. Others are required to submit Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) data. Access to recent data is available by following this link: Permittee Test Reports

Information regarding amendment to the West Coast Reduction Ltd. Permit
Metro Vancouver is developing requirements for the West Coast Reduction Ltd. rendering plant to ensure community air quality, in particular odour, meets acceptable standards.

In response to ongoing concerns regarding odour from West Coast Reduction rendering plant in the Grandview-Woodland community, Metro Vancouver’s Air Quality District Director is proposing to amend the June 2007 West Coast Reduction Air Quality Management Permit.

The amended Permit will impose the first stage of enforceable requirements that are necessary to achieve local air quality.

Air Quality Management Permit - West Coast Reduction Ltd.

The District Director has begun a series of West Coast Reduction permit amendments to progressively reduce odour emissions from the rendering plant.

The latest in a series of more restrictive permit amendments was drafted in early 2008. A further permit amendment, planned for February 2009, is expected to impose the ultimate requirements of West Coast Reduction to achieve the ambient odour objective in the community.

To establish the ambient odour objective, relevant science and information from the community, West Coast Reduction and other persons or agencies wishing to provide input will be considered.
 
In order to enforce acceptable air quality limits in the Grandview-Woodland community, Metro Vancouver’s Regulation and Enforcement Officers will continue to conduct both scheduled and unscheduled site inspections. These inspections help ensure that West Coast Reduction is complying with the permit requirements.
 
In addition, odour samples are collected by independent consultants and tested by independent laboratories. The results from these tests are then provided to Metro Vancouver for review and assessment, and posting on the Metro Vancouver web site.
Appeal Process
Any community member who wishes to appeal a decision made by the District Director regarding West Coast Reduction, may do so to the Environmental Appeal Board in accordance with Division 2, Part 8 of the Environmental Management Act. The time limit for appealing a decision is 30 days after notice of the decision is given.
A decision in this case means:
  • Making an order.
  • Imposing a requirement.
  • Exercising a power except a power of delegation.
  • Issuing, amending, renewing, suspending, refusing or canceling a permit, approval or operational certificate.
  • Including a requirement or a condition in an order, permit, approval or operational certificate.
  • Determining to impose an administrative penalty.
  • Determining that the terms and conditions of an agreement under section 115(4) of the Environmental Management Act have not been performed.
Community Involvement and Feedback

In order to achieve what is considered “acceptable odour” in the community, the Air Quality District Director is working with the Grandview-Woodland Community Advisory Committee to establish an ambient odour objective. An ambient odour objective is the level of odour within a community that is considered by the District Director to be generally acceptable to the public.

Metro Vancouver and the District Director intend to have an odour objective established by December 2008 with the help of the Grandview-Woodland Community Advisory Committee.

Emission regulations
Emission regulations are used as an alternative to issuing site-specific permits to manage the air emissions from certain types of individual industrial, commercial or institutional sources. The limits and restrictions established under these regulations can be specific, like a permit, or more general. Industries currently covered by emission regulations include:

 Consolidation of Agricultural Boilers Emission Regulation Bylaw
*This is a consolidated version - for the legal version please view Bylaw 1098 (above) or obtain a copy through the Corporate Secretary’s Office.
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Resources

 Permit Application Forms

Fast Facts