Federal government acts on industrial emissions

The Canadian government has announced the first mandatory regulations to govern pollutant emissions from industry.

The first phase of requirements will affect industrial boilers and heaters, stationary engines, such as those used for gas compression or back-up generators, and the cement manufacturing industry.

Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq said on June 3 that the proposed Multi-Sector Air Pollutants Regulations “will contribute significantly to lower smog levels and better air quality overall for Canadians.”

It is estimated that overall the regulations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4 megatonnes between 2013 and 2035.

Environment Canada says that the net health and environmental benefits will be 15 to 34 times greater than the costs of implementing these new regulations. The net health benefits of regulating emissions from the cement manufacturing sector alone are predicted to be $1.4 billion by Environment Canada.

The regulations will reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from regulated stationary engines, for example, are expected to be reduced by about 1.8 megatonnes between 2013 and 2035. This is almost twice the amount of NOx that Canada’s entire mobile fleet — cars, trucks, planes, trains, tractors and other industrial equipment — emitted in 2011.

Click here to see the full Government of Canada release.