OTTAWA – The Canadian government has announced the first-ever mandatory national emission standards for major industries. The specifics will be set out in the proposed Multi-Sector Air Pollutant Regulations. The regulations are aimed at lowering smog levels and improving air quality across the country.
Environment Canada says the regulations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4 megatonnes between 2013 levels and 2035.
The first phase of requirements is aimed at industrial boilers, heaters, stationary engines (such as those for back-up generators or compressors), and the cement manufacturing sector. No mention was made during the announcement of applicability to the mining sector as a whole.
The federal government points to several benefits that will arise from lowering pollution and smog. Chief among them:
- Between 2013 and 2035, the net health benefits to Canadians will be $1.4 billion as the cement industry comes under regulations, $1.1 billion with lowered boiler and heater emission, and $6.5 million with cleaner burning gas-fired engines.
- The net health benefits are estimated to be 14 to 34 times greater than the costs of implementing the new regulations.
- Nitrogen oxide emissions from regulated boilers and heaters will be reduced by about 227,000 tonnes by 2035. This is the equivalent of a year's worth of emissions from electric power generation, as well as commercial and residential heating.
- Nitrogen oxides from regulated stationary engines will be reduced by 1.8 megatonnes by 2035. That is an amount twice as much as from Canada's entire mobile fleet – cars, trucks, planes, trains, tractors and other industrial equipment – emitted in 2011.
- Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission from regulated cement kilns will drop by 96,000 tonnes and 63,000 tonnes, respectively, from 2017 to 2035. Those amounts would fill 600 railcars with SO2 and 380 railcars with NOx.
The Environment Canada website is at EC.gc.ca.
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