Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)

1.  What are the key features of the Air Quality Management System?

   
1. The  System is comprehensive: it looks at all major sources of air pollution that  contribute to air quality problems and supports actions that will address these  sources.
      
      
   
2. The  System is collaborative; it provides a framework for provincial, territorial  and federal governments to work together to find the best way to improve air  quality.
      
      
   
3. The  System is inclusive: stakeholders and communities have an important role in  finding the best ways to improve air quality.
      
      
   
4. The  System is proactive: it focuses on effective actions that will reduce pollution  levels overall and on keeping clean areas clean.
      
      
   
5. The  System is flexible: it recognizes the important differences among Canadian  jurisdictions and allows for tailored responses to air quality problems.
      
      
   
6. The  System is accountable: it provides Canadians with information about the state  of the air that they are breathing and about the actions underway to protect  and improve outdoor air quality.
      
      
   
7. The  System helps us internationally: it allows Canada  to continue to demonstrate active management of air quality, strengthening our  negotiating position with the US  to expand the Canada/US Air Quality Agreement.

2. What are the major parts of the System and how  do they work together?

The  System has five major parts: 1) air quality standards to “set the bar” for air  quality management across the country, 2) a framework for air zone management  that supports actions to improve air quality and keep clean areas clean, 3)  industrial emission requirements that set a consistent level of performance for  all major industries across the country, 4) a mechanism to coordinate action  when air pollution crosses a border – either inter-provincial or international  and 5) a cross-country inter-governmental forum to collaborate on action to  address emissions from the transportation sector

Because  of the range of air quality challenges across the country, all of these parts  are important to the success of the System. The air quality standards drive air  quality improvement and the other components are, taken together, the means by  which the improvements will be achieved.

The  System’s success also relies on collaboration among governments and engagement  of stakeholders and communities.   Governments will collaborate on the development of the outdoor air  quality and industrial emission requirements. And, while provinces and  territories will manage activities at the level of air zones, the federal  government will collaborate on transportation sources and lead actions  addressing international cross-border air pollution.

Finally,  the accountability of the System will be supported by monitoring and reporting  of outdoor air quality conditions and emissions from major industrial sources.

3. What are outdoor air quality standards and how do they  work?

Standards  for air quality are measurements of the concentrations of pollutants in outdoor  air. The System’s initial air quality standards are for two pollutants of  concern to human health: fine particulate and ozone. Smog is largely comprised  of these two substances. The System will develop standards for other pollutants  over time.

The  System’s standards for these substances build on the Canada-wide Standards for  Particulate Matter and Ozone developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of  the Environment in 2000. The new standards are more stringent than the  Canada-wide Standards.

The  new standards set the bar for action on air quality. Jurisdictions will monitor  the concentrations of fine particulate and decide what actions need to be taken  to either improve poor air quality or maintain good air quality.

The  air quality standards will not be enforceable. However, they will be  incorporated as objectives under sections 54 and 55 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Provinces may also  incorporate them into their regulatory regimes if they choose.

4. What is the relationship between the outdoor air quality  standards and the industrial emission requirements?

The  air standards deal with the quality of the air outdoors that people breathe.  The industrial emission requirements deal with the emissions created by  industrial activity.

The  System operates on the principle that industries are one of a number of  influences on outdoor air quality. In many parts of Canada other sources such as  transportation can influence air quality even more than industrial sources.

The  System’s industrial pollution requirements are set to achieve a “good base  level” of performance across the country. They are not designed, on their own,  to address all air quality concerns or to achieve, on their own, the air  quality standards. Rather, they work in concert with other actions to achieve  the air quality standards. Where needed for better air quality jurisdictions  can also impose stricter requirements on industry.

5. What are Air  Zones and Airsheds?

Canada is a big  country and air moves over it in six large “airsheds” that extend across  provincial/territorial and even international borders. The System has  identified these airsheds to help affected jurisdictions coordinate their  actions.

Air  zones are smaller areas created within provinces and territories to help manage  air quality. Jurisdictions will monitor air quality within these zones and,  depending on conditions and major sources, manage air quality to ensure that  poor air quality improves and good air quality stays good. Air zone management  is supplemented by collaboration at the regional airshed level on transboundary  air pollution.

The  System recognizes that air pollutants may cross a provincial/territorial  border. Because the authority to act to reduce pollution resides within  provincial/territorial borders, there needs to be a mechanism – airshed  coordination – in place to support action between governments to address  cross-border air pollution problems. All affected governments will be involved  in coordinating action to address cross-border pollution. When the border at  issue is the Canada-United States border, the Canadian federal government will  lead the effort.

6. What is air zone management? Who is responsible for it?

The  provinces and territories are responsible for air zone management, and will  delineate their air zones and manage their air quality as conditions require.

The  System provides for considerable flexibility in air zone management to  accommodate the range and variety of air quality challenges in Canada. The  Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment has developed guidance  documents regarding the delineation and management of air zones and a guidance  document that can help governments to determine if they are exceeding the PM2.5  and ozone standards.

7. What are Canada-wide requirements for  industrial emissions?

In  Canada  currently, actions to manage industrial emissions vary from province to  province, creating a patchwork and an uneven playing field for Canadian  enterprises. The System will establish consistent industrial emission  requirements to level the playing field. Major industrial facilities will have  a good base level of air emission performance regardless of the air quality  where they are located.

Canadian  industrial emission requirements and the actions governments will take under  the System will allow Canada  to continue to demonstrate to the United States  that we are actively managing our air quality, and so be in a strong position  to engage the United States.

The  System’s industrial pollution requirements are set to achieve a “good base  level” of performance across the country. For some industrial sources,  provincial standards are already as good as or better than this base level of  performance. The requirements aim to ensure that this good performance is  achieved across Canada  and in some cases the requirement may be more stringent than what is currently  applied in some provinces. As part of their air management, provinces and  territories can choose to impose stricter requirements on industry. The System  also operates on the principle that the industrial requirements can be reviewed  and made more stringent over time.

8.  Will the System help with pollution coming from the US?

Many parts of  Canada, such as the lower Fraser Valley in British Columbia and much of  southern Ontario, receive air pollution from the United States.

All of the  success Canada has seen to date in negotiations with the United States about  stemming this cross-border air pollution has relied on an effective  demonstration of strong measures in Canada to control air pollution that may  flow into the United States.

The System’s  standards and requirements, and the actions governments will take under the  System to implement them, will allow Canada to continue to demonstrate to the  United States that we are actively managing our air quality, and be in a  stronger position to work with the US to expand the Canada/US Air Quality  Agreement.

9.  Where do transportation emissions fit in the System?  

Cars,  trucks, boats, construction equipment and even lawn mowers all fall into the  category of transportation – or mobile – sources.  In many parts of Canada, these sources are by  far the leading contributors to air pollution.  

The  federal government has over the past decade made great progress in reducing the  amount of harmful pollutants from mobile sources.  Provinces and territories have also made  important contributions in areas such as vehicle inspection and public  transportation. However, congestion and the sheer volume of traffic along major  roads and highways can create air quality problems in places where there are  also lots of people.

Actions  taken in individual air zones will help to address these sources.  However, the System recognizes that issues  around mobile sources are common across air zones.  To help deal with the broader issues,  representatives from Canadian provinces and territories and the federal  government, representing transportation, environment and other sectors have  created a cross-Canada working group on mobile sources. The working group will  share information and look for opportunities for collaboration on key  initiatives intended to reduce air pollution. The work of the group will  support actions at the air zone level to address emissions from transportation.

10.  What was the role of stakeholders in the development of the System?
From  the earliest days of the System's development - when the federal government  convened a multi-stakeholder meeting in early 2008 – representatives of  industrial, health and environment organizations have contributed their time,  expertise and perspectives to the development of the System and its major  elements. The industrial emission requirements and the outdoor air quality  standards have been developed through an innovative multi-stakeholder,  intergovernmental collaborative process that involved over 400 individuals in  17 technical expert groups.

11. Does the  System replace existing air management policies and regulation?

The System  builds on existing initiatives to improve the management of air quality in  Canada. Some jurisdictions are already active in improving the air quality and  keeping clean areas clean. The System offers additional tools to governments  that they can use to enhance air management.

Policies and  regulations already in place in jurisdictions will continue to apply and  jurisdictions will decide whether they need to be modified or not.

12.  How important is intergovernmental collaboration to the System?

The System will build and sustain  a framework that is both strong and flexible so Canadian governments may  effectively respond to many different air quality challenges across the  country. Even though there are important individual government roles, a  comprehensive system of this nature can only be successfully developed and  implemented with strong collaboration among the federal, provincial and territorial  governments. The System fundamentally recognizes the value of consistent  standards and requirements implemented by provinces and territories across  Canada. Governments need to collaborate in order to achieve these objectives of  the System and make the best use of available government resources to protect  the environment.