Guideline A-1: Combustion, Air Pollution Control and Monitoring Requirements for Biomedical Waste Incinerators

This notice was originally posted in the old Environmental Registry under number 011-2489.

Description of policy

The Ministry of the Environment (the ministry) is requesting public comments on the proposed revocation of Guideline A-1: Combustion, Air Pollution Control and Monitoring Requirements for Biomedical Waste Incinerators, published in 2002 as it is out of date and not widely used.

The ministry is reviewing all of its statutes, regulations and policy instruments to reduce unnecessary and obsolete requirements, and to update and modernize policy documents.

The guideline recommends technology-based limits for a number of contaminants, such as particulate matter, metals, acid gases, nitrogen oxides and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. It also sets limits that are operational in nature, such as limits for organic matter, carbon monoxide and opacity. It sets out expectations for state-of-the-art process control systems and air pollution control equipment. It also establishes requirements for monitoring and performance testing of thermal treatment systems.

Guideline A-1 is not a regulation and its recommendations and limits become enforceable only if they are incorporated in a control document, such as a Certificate of Approval issued under the Environmental Protection Act

Purpose of policy

Guideline A-1 was published in 2002 and incorporates the Canada-wide standards for mercury as well as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. Guideline A-1 is outdated in its references to Ontario’s environmental legislation, however, updates to the guideline are not considered practical since Ontario has only one biomedical waste thermal treatment facility.

The existing biomedical waste thermal treatment facility operates under a Certificate of Approval issued in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. This Certificate of Approval incorporates the recommendations set out in the existing Guideline A-1. In fact, Guideline A-1 was developed based on the requirements in the Certificate of Approval for the existing facility. No proponents have come forward with any new proposals for biomedical waste thermal treatment facilities since the existing Guideline A-1 was published.

If additional biomedical waste thermal treatment facilities are needed in the future, the ministry will assess such proposals taking into consideration requirements placed for the existing biomedical waste thermal treatment facility, requirements in other jurisdictions at the time of the proposal as well as the availability of advanced technologies.

Proponents who wish to construct a new biomedical waste thermal treatment facility or to modify an existing one must obtain a Certificate of Approval prior to construction or modification of the facility. The guideline was developed as a tool to be used by the ministry when reviewing applications for approval of such facilities. It is noted that proponents are expected to do the best they can to strive towards even better environmental performance than the minimum recommended in the guideline.

All Certificates of Approval are issued on a site-specific basis and they can be expected to include conditions that impose operational and performance requirements which may be even more stringent than those in any guideline. Revocation of Guideline A-1 will not erode protection of the environment.