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Message from the President
 I would like to introduce the 2016 Board and thank them for the time they dedicate to the membership.
They actively plan, organize and run events that provide a neutral forum for technology exchange, professional development, networking opportunities, public education, and outreach.
2016 A&WMA Ontario Section Board
- Sarah McQuaig, President – Suncor Energy Inc.
- Mario Pieries, Vice-President – Suncor Energy Inc.
- Brian Bobbie, Chair – ALTECH Environmental Consulting Ltd.
- Rob Stevens, Vice-Chair – HGC Engineering
- Bob Stezler, Secretary – Safety Power Inc.
- Tian Gou, Treasurer – Golder Associates Ltd.
- Jennifer Ahluwalia, Director – Dillon Consulting
- Allison Barrett, Director – Golder Associates Ltd.
- Ron Bobker, Director – Spectrum Environmental
- Giulia Brutesco, Director – Canadian Fertilizer Institute
- John Georgakopoulos, Director – Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers
- Brian Sulley, Director – RWDI Consulting Engineers
- Nicholas Sylvestre-Williams, Director – Aercoustics Engineering Ltd.
- Prameet Rathod, Student Director – University of Ottawa, Student
- Gordon Reusing, Director – GHD Limited
- Julie Wedzinga, Director – ArcelorMittal Dofasco
- Ciara De Jong, Past President – ORTECH Environmental
- Camille Taylor, Ottawa Valley Chapter – Golder Associates Ltd.
- Tony van der Vooren, A&WMA International – AMEC Foster Wheeler
We look forward to serving the membership by delivering high quality technical events and online communications.
I would also like to extend a ‘Special Thanks’ to Cherry Ballestros who leads our Membership Committee and Elaine Farrow who plays an active role in coordinating our technical conferences and workshops.
We also re-extend our invitation, on behalf of the Board, to all Ontario Section and Ottawa Valley Chapter members to attend any of our board meetings in person or on teleconference; they are generally held on the 3 rd Thursday of every month. Send Brian Bobbie an email and we will send you the Agenda, location and call in number.
If you would like to volunteer with the A&WMA Ontario Section contact me at info@awma.on.ca.
Sincerely,
Sarah McQuaig,
President, A&WMA Ontario Section
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Message from Brian Bobbie, Chair These are heady times. There’s a nearly unprecedented level of regulatory activity in Ontario, in Resource Recovery and Waste Reduction, Cap & Trade, the Low Carbon economy, GHG Reporting, EFW, Modelling, EASRs, Approvals turnaround, Noise NPCs, Technology development, ISO 14001 ….the list goes on and on. Our A&WMA Ontario Section leaders and members are co-hosting and speaking at breakfast events, a Fall Air & Noise Monitoring Conference, MOECC meetings, Energy Workshops, and many more.
We encourage you to participate, learn, teach and take advantage of your A&WMA network of environmental professionals.
Cheers,
Brian Bobbie
Chair, A&WMA Ontario Section
bbobbie@altech-group.com |
Summer Luncheon - June 16, 2016
The President and Chairman of the Ontario Section would like to extend an invitation to the A&WMA Ontario Section membership to join us at our Annual Summer Luncheon.
Thursday June 16, 2016 (11:30 am)
RSVP to Rob Stevens by June 13th, 2016. |
Ottawa Valley Chapter News
We have had an exciting winter at the Ottawa Valley Chapter. The Ottawa Valley Chapter welcomed a New Board in January 2016. The A&WMA Ottawa Valley Chapter hosted a Climate Change Workshop in early February. Despite the freezing rain and cancelled school buses, this workshop brought together professionals providing insight into greenhouse gas regulations from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, the northern territories as well as federal initiatives. A unique discussion at the workshop centered on the economic impact of adding a price to carbon.
This spring promises to be a busy time with a pub night centered around the Steve Hart Award (student award) held on May 5th and an analytical laboratory panel discussion to be held on May 11th. For information about our events, please see our website www.awma-ovc.ca.
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Paul G. Complin Memorial Scholarship
The A&WMA Ontario Section, through the Paul G. Complin Memorial Scholarship Fund will grant scholarships to A&WMA student members attending Ontario post-secondary institutions and pursuing programs related to engineering or sciences. Three scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded.
The invitation for applications is being prepared and will be issued soon. Keep an eye out! |
Tony van der Vooren Wins Gruber Award
 We’re pleased to announce that our own Tony van der Vooren, Ph.D., QEP, has been awarded A&WMA’s International Charles W. Gruber Leadership Award.
This annual Award is for an individual who has provided outstanding service to A&WMA by serving in leadership positions at both national, international and local levels of the Association. Tony is a current Fellow of the A&WMA and has been a continuous member of the association since 1986.
He was elected and served as President of the international association in 2007.
Tony has provided strong leadership in a number of capacities at the international level, including Vice President, Director, Finance Committee Chair, Section & Chapters Council Chair, and a member of the Technical Council’s EE-5 Risk Assessment/Management Committee. Tony has served as Sections and Chapters Council Committee Chair for 12 years and is the organizing force behind the highly successful annual Leadership Academy training for A&WMA Volunteers. He was also very active in the development of A&WMA’s 90th Annual Conference & Exhibition in Toronto in 1997. Tony’s strong leadership has been supremely evident at the local Section level as well. As former President, Vice-Chair and Chair of the Ontario Section, Tony has been instrumental in growing and providing direction and stability to the Ontario Section of the Association.
There are few environmental professionals who possess the ability to lead, motivate and manage others while maintaining in-depth and up-to-date technical knowledge of air quality regulations, procedures and solutions, all in keeping with A&WMA’s vision and objectives. Tony is one of those rare individuals - one who inspires others to both follow and to lead.
Congratulations, Tony! |
Thank You to Diane Freeman
 In member news, former A&WMA Board member, Diane Freeman, P.Eng. has moved from her environmental engineering position of over 23 years, to embark on a new challenge. In February 2016, Masrio O Architects (MORe) welcomed Diane Freeman to their team in the role of Senior Engineer. In this capacity, Diane is combining her community focus and broad base understanding of the built environment that she gained as serving as a City of Waterloo Councillor for over 10 years with her project engineering/management skills. As a result of this career change, Diane will no longer stay an active member of the Association.
MORe is a progressive architectural firm located in Waterloo, Ontario. MORe provides full-scope architectural services for projects from inception through to post construction. Their areas of specialty are institutional - municipal and academic, and residential buildings and include new buildings, renovations/additions/adaptive reuse and infill. In-house capabilities include a range of disciplines such as: urban design, master planning, interior design and graphics in addition to architectural and project management and coordination. Diane’s skills will complement the firms values and its multi-disciplinary philosophy.
Diane has over 23 years of experience in the field of Engineering. She has worked with a broad variety of industry sectors, from food to automotive. Diane is a skilled facilitator and “people person,” and has served on a number of Boards of Directors and as an elected member of Council for the City of Waterloo. Her community leadership experience has equipped her with a wealth of skills related to public engagement, project management, consensus building, political acuity and governance that she willingly shares with clients. Diane has received numerous professional and community awards for her work.
The Section leadership would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Diane for her years of service to the Section, the International Association and the members. Diane was always the first to step up and volunteer and take on any and all tasks. She is the true embodiment of the old adage “if you want something done, ask a busy person, they know how to get things done”.
Always helpful, always involved, always there as a friend…the Association will miss her hard work and dedication. The friendships we will not lose!
Thank you Diane. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. |
Practitioner's Update
The Ontario Air Practitioners Group (Practitioners) are environmental professionals and representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) that gather from time to time to informally discuss issues related to regulatory compliance. The group has developed Frequently Asked Questions, guidance materials and best practice documents; these documents are posted on the website of the Air & Waste Management Association – Ontario Section (http://awma.on.ca/). The A&WMA Ontario Section has also provided a discussion forum and input for the practical aspects of regulatory compliance for S.9 approvals, O.Reg. 419/05, and other regulatory initiatives. This approach has proven useful to both Practitioners and several different branches within the MOECC, and has positively affected the quality of work submitted to the MOECC.
With over 200 active and corresponding representatives from consulting firms and industries whose day-to-day roles are heavily involved in the permitting process reporting and compliance, the practitioners are in a unique position to offer our combined experience to assist in developing effective and meaningful regulations and associated guidance materials.
On February 29th, the full practitioners (all 200 invited, about 100 attended) met with MOECC in a full day session to review and discuss various guidance changes. The various presentations are posted on awma.on.ca. The “working” group of the practitioners (about 25 persons, typically defined as ‘one person per organization’) continues to meet with MOECC on aspects related to flares, transitional operating conditions (TOC), modelling requirements and the newly proposed changes to EASRs. Stay tuned for further updates and information.
If you are not a member, and would like to participate, please contact either Brian Bobbie (bbobbie@altech-group.com) or Tony van der Vooren (tony.vandervooren@amecfw.com). |
Toxics Reduction
A reminder of two upcoming deadlines:
Toxics Reduction Planner License Renewals - 2017
Most Planners will require renewal of their licenses in 2017. To renew you’ll need to send the MOECC proof that you’ve completed 60 professional credits.
A maximum of 30 of the credits can come from performing functions of a Planner and each individual Plan is worth 5 credits. If you’ve certified, provided recommendations, or created Plans for six substances you’ve likely met the 30 credit maximum.
The other 30 credits must come from attending or teaching educational courses, seminars, training, or writing articles.
See https://www.ontario.ca/page/toxic-substance-reduction-planner-licence for more information.
The renewal application form is not currently available on the MOECC website but will be e-mailed to existing planners in the next few months. The cost for renewal is $275. If you do not renew before your license expires you’ll need to re-take the training course and exam at a cost of $2100.
Plan Reviews and Recertification Required in 2018
Facilities that have existing Plans for substances will have to do a Plan review and recertification in 2018. Plan reviews will be required for substances that continue to meet the threshold for the 2017 reporting period. Facilities may wish to start planning and budgeting to meet the Plan review requirements. |
Federal Initiatives - The Air Quality Management System (AQMS)
Steve Lamming, Amec Foster Wheeler
Progress on the development and implementation of the Federal AQMS continues. The AQMS includes Canadian ambient air quality standards (CAAQS), base-level industrial emissions requirements (BLIERs) and the management of air quality through local air zones and regional airsheds.
The CAAQS for PM2.5 and ozone (2015 and 2020) have been promulgated and air quality management zones (AQMZ) for most provinces and territories have been delineated. The number of specific AQMZs in each province or territory varies widely with the air quality management concerns of the region as well as industrial and population density. Quebec is excluded as the province believes its own air regulations provide adequate coverage.
Five provinces (AB, BC, NB, NL and NS) have also published their baseline air AQMZ air quality reports for the 2011-2013 period and some have updated to 2014. All of the reports published except NL show impacted areas (orange level) while two (BC and AB) show areas of non-attainment (red level)
The province of Ontario has delineated three AQMZs, although unlike most other provinces these are more fractured in order to group specific industrial areas. The delineated zones are:
- Air Zone 1 – the majority of Northern Ontario.
- Air Zone 2 – the majority of Southern Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie, and the City of Greater Sudbury.
- Air Zone 3 – the City on Hamilton and the Sarnia area.
Ontario has not yet made any baseline AQMZ reports publicly available but continues to provide the annual Air Quality in Ontario report (available to 2014) including comparisons to the Canadian Ambient Air Quality standards (CAAQS) for ozone and PM2.5. The implications for projects and permits within impacted zones are still unclear and work continues on the definition of the BLIERS for various sectors. |
Noise Notes - Spring 2016
Rob Stevents, HGC Engineering
At the recent Practitioners Group Meeting, the MOECC clarified that, for “Air Only” ECAs with Limited Operational Flexibility (i.e., those not originally requiring an Acoustic Assessment Report), their documentation requirements include annually updating the Noise Screening Protocol. In the event that any changes cause the facility not to pass either the Primary or Secondary Screening Protocol, then an Acoustic Assessment must be prepared, and potentially submitted to the MOECC with an application to amend the ECA. For more information, see:
http://awma.on.ca/s/Noise-Documentation-for-Air-Only-ECAs-w-LOF.pdf
The City of Toronto is in the process of updating its noise bylaw, Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 591, Noise. For stationary (industrial/commercial) sources of sound, the old bylaw explicitly adopted the now outdated MOECC publication NPC-205. This conflicts in some respects with the current requirements of NPC-300. While some aspects of the new draft bylaw are still somewhat problematic, it is worth noting that the City is endeavouring to defer to the MOECC requirements for stationary noise sources, but without explicitly referencing any specific MOECC guideline. The intent is to avoid the bylaw becoming prematurely outdated by future changes to any MOECC noise requirements. The bylaw is currently in the process of stakeholder input.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ls/bgrd/backgroundfile-87298.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ls/bgrd/backgroundfile-87299.pdf
O.Reg. 381, a new workplace noise regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario, was created on December 9, 2015. It comes into effect on July 1, 2016, replacing O.Regs. 851, 854, and 855. O.Reg 381 contains the same noise limit as the superseded regulations – an 8-hour-equivalent time-weighted exposure of 85 dBA – but now applies to all workplaces, whereas the previous regulations covered industrial plants, mines, and oil and gas facilities, respectively.
http://www.acoustical-consultants.com/workplace-noise-exposure-regulations-o-reg-38-15-noise-ontario/. |
Ontario's Cap and Trade Update
John Georgakopoulos, Partner and Certified Environmental Law Specialist, and
Joanna Vince, Associate,
Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
Ontario has forged ahead with its plans to introduce a Cap and Trade System, with the announcement of the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016 (the “Act”) and the associated draft Cap and Trade Regulation (the “Regulation”).
The Act and Regulation outline the details of Ontario’s proposed plan to reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions.
The Cap and Trade System under the Act and Regulation is consistent with the Cap and Trade program design proposal posted on the Environmental Registry in November 2015.
For the complete article, please click here. |
Waste-Free Ontario Act
Crystal Harte, GHD
On November 26, 2015, the government of Ontario introduced the Waste-Free Ontario Act (Bill 151). The comment period for Bill 151 closed on February 29, 2016. If Bill 151 is passed into law, it would enact Schedule 1 (Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2015) and Schedule 2 (Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2015). Bill 151 would replace the existing waste diversion programs operated under the Waste Diversion Act, 2002.
The Standing Committee on Social Policy held public hearings in Toronto on Monday, April 18 and Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
Bill 151 puts an emphasis on moving Ontario towards a circular economy where end-of-life materials become feedstock for new products and packaging. The Bill puts the emphasis on producers to achieve resource recovery and waste reduction requirements. The Bill is expected to be finalized this year.
The proposed legislation includes:
A new Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act that would:
- Establish the provincial interest in resource recovery and waste reduction and enable the government to issue policy statements to provide further direction;
- Establish a new outcomes-based producer responsibility regime that holds responsible persons accountable for recovering resources and reducing waste associated with their products and packaging;
- Overhaul Waste Diversion Ontario, the existing oversight body under the Waste Diversion Act, 2002, as the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority with responsibility to oversee the new producer responsibility regime and existing waste diversion programs and their transition; and
- Establish the Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy, which will outline a vision and goals for resource recovery and waste reduction and identify actions under the proposed Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act and other acts, e.g. the Environmental Protection Act.
A new Waste Diversion Transition Act that would:
- Replace the Waste Diversion Act, 2002 to enable the smooth transition of existing program to the new producer responsibility regime; and
- Allow for the wind-up of the existing waste diversion programs and the Industry Funding Organizations (IFO) that operate these programs. Once programs and IFOs under the proposed Waste Diversion Transition Act are wound up, the Act would be repealed.
For more information go to: http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=19982 |
A&WMA's 109th Annual Conference & Exhibition
The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) will be hosting the 109th Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE), “Unmasking the Industrial Renaissance,” on June 20–23, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, LA.
A&WMA’s Conference & Exhibition is recognized as the leading meeting for information exchange, networking opportunities and business development. Over 1,500 leading environmental professionals from around the world visit A&WMA’s conference each year. Typically we have between 80 and 100 Canadians at the meeting.
It is the top venue to view new products and learn about the latest technical information. Whether you are visiting the exhibits, taking a course, participating in sessions and panels, or networking, you will meet new people, learn new information and better your career.
If you can’t make it this year, start planning for the 2017 ACE in Pittsburgh…only a 3 hour drive from the border.
www.ace2016.awma.org |
Upcoming Ontario Events
October 25 & 26, 2016 Monitoring Conference
The 2016 Monitoring Conference will be held at the Delta Waterloo, with an expected attendance of over 100 air and noise professionals from across Ontario.
Our 3 program streams are developing nicely. We have 3 afternoon courses scheduled for October 25, 2016 for each of our core education streams – Monitoring of Acoustics, Ambient Air Quality, and Stack Sampling. Our conference chairs are working hard with their teams to develop an innovative and interesting program for our delegates on October 26, 2016. The call for abstracts has gone out, and we are reviewing to select the most interesting topics.
Exciting news – our keynote luncheon speaker will be the new Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Dr. Dianne Saxe.
Our event has generated considerable interest. Willms and Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP and Maxxam have already generously committed their sponsorship, and more sponsorship opportunities are available. There are also about 10 booth locations available that will be assigned on a first-come basis – this is a great opportunity to showcase your company services or equipment!
Registration is open, and early bird prices are available until September 30, 2016. We look forward to your participation!
For more information and to register, go to
http://awma.on.ca/upcoming-events/fall-2016-conference.
Breakfast Meetings
Eugenia Chalambalacis, a Senior Program Advisor with the Modernization of Approvals Branch at MOECC will be providing an update on the efforts to streamline ECA applications as well as the EASR process.
She will be presenting in person at:
- Hamilton (Royal Botanical Gardens) - June 2, 2016
- Kitchener (GHD Offices) - June 22nd, 2016
For more information and to register, please visit the A&WMA Ontario Section website.
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Member Contact Information
On another note, please keep your A&WMA membership information up to date. You may do so on a self-service basis:
- Go to www.awma.org
- Select the “Log In” button at the upper right.
- Enter your member number and password (or follow the password help instructions).
- Select “Membership” from the menu at the top of the page.
- Select “My Account” from the Member Services memo on the left of the page.
- To update your address or email address, select “Address” and “Edit” at the bottom of the “Address” page.
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Our Next Newsletter
If you have an idea for a future newsletter article please email info@awma.on.ca.
Tony van der Vooren, Newsletter Coordinator
tony.vandervooren@amecfw.com
Gayle Giesbrecht, Newsletter Coordinator
ggiesbrecht@blumetric.ca
Joanna Vince, Content Editor
jvince@willmsshier.com
Linda Lattner, Design Editor
linda.lattner@amecfw.com |
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