Health Protection and Air Quality
Facilities with major health-risk air pollutant emissions must apply to Council for approval.
The Health Protection Air Quality By-law 2010-035 (pdf), requires that an application for approval by a proposed or existing facility with a major health-risk air pollutant emission be posted for public comment for 30 days prior to the meeting when the application will be considered by Town Council.
For more information about emission reduction strategies, calculations, reporting or applications, please contact healthprotection@oakville.ca.
Fine particulate matter
Negligible quantity requiring submission: 1 kilogram per year
Potential emission sources: Combustion from stationary and vehicular sources, unpaved roads, processes generating dusts, and chemical formation from precursors
Oxides of nitrogen
Negligible quantity requiring submission: 10 kilograms per year
Potential emission sources: Combustion from transportation sector, utilities and other industrial processes
Sulphur dioxides
Negligible quantity requiring submission: 10 kilograms per year
Potential emission sources: Combustion from transportation sector and utilities, and industrial processes such as petroleum refining, cement and concrete manufacturing
Ammonia
Negligible quantity requiring submission: 10 kilograms per year
Potential emission sources: Nitrogen or oxides of nitrogen reduction processes for wastewater treatment plant or power plant, other industrial processes, and agricultural activities
Volatile organic compounds
Negligible quantity requiring submission: 10 kilograms per year
Potential emission sources: Combustion from stationary and vehicular sources, fuel-refilling, general solvent use, industrial processes such as paint/coating application, petroleum refining, plastics manufacturing, food processing, agricultural activities and wood processing and burning
A key element in the HPAQB is to offer public access to health-risk air pollutant emission data for Oakville.
Under the by-law, facilities in Oakville that emit above the negligible quantity of any health-risk air pollutant are required to submit an emission report to the town.
Reporting
Under the by-law, if a facility emits at least one health-risk air pollutant in a non-negligible quantity, its owner or operator needs to report the emission to the town.
Information reported will be maintained in a database of health-risk emissions from across Oakville. Facilities only need to report their emissions once unless they change.
Approval by Council
The second level of requirement is an approval from Council of facilities that cause a “major emission” of a health-risk air pollutant. A major emission is an emission of one or more health risk air pollutants that exceed the levels established under the HPAQB.
Under the by-law, proposed or existing facilities that produce a major emission would be required to submit to an approval process involving assessment of health impacts from emissions, and implementation of regulatory controls where necessary.
Facilities receiving approval under the HPAQB are required to submit a report of the actual emissions of health risk air pollutants from their facility to the town every year for three years following approval, and then for a period of time determined by the town.
The reporting and approval requirements under the HPAQB apply to existing and proposed facilities. A fee of $25,000 is assessed to facilities submitting approval applications for major emissions for the administrative and peer review costs associated with these applications. There is no fee for facilities addressing only the reporting requirement.
Applications and information
For more information about the by-law, emissions calculation and approval requirements, or to receive reporting forms, please email healthprotection@oakville.ca.
Major emission thresholds
- for directly emitted fine particulate matter, more than 300 kilograms per year;
- for volatile organic compounds, more than 10,000 kilograms per year;
- for nitrogen oxides, more than 20,000 kilograms per year;
- for sulphur dioxide, more than 20,000 kilograms per year; or
- for ammonia, more than 10,000 kilograms per year.
Under the by-law, the following facilities were deemed to be major emitters and received approval from the town:
New Oakville Hospital Third Line and Dundas Street
New facility, approved on October 29, 2012
- Application Part One (pdf), Part Two (pdf), and Part Three (pdf)
- Peer review report (pdf)
- Applicant’s response (pdf)
- Peer addendum review report (pdf)
Dufferin Construction Company, Bronte Asphalt Plant, 731 Third Line
Existing facility, approved on November 18, 2013
- Application (pdf)
- Peer review report (pdf)
- Applicant’s response (pdf)
- Peer addendum review report (pdf)
Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., Oakville Assembly Complex, The Canadian Road
Existing facility, approved on November 18, 2013
- Application (pdf), Supplement to application (pdf)
- Peer review report (pdf)
- Applicant’s response (pdf)
Suncor Energy Production Partnership Inc., Oakville Distribution Terminal, 3275 Rebecca Street
Existing facility, approved on November 18, 2013
- Application (pdf)
- Peer review report (pdf)
- Applicant’s response (pdf)
- Peer addendum review report (pdf)
Greif Bros. Canada Inc., Oakville Facility, 165 Wyecroft Road
Existing facility, approved on March 31, 2014
- Application (pdf), Supplement to application (pdf)
- Peer review report (pdf)
- Applicant’s response (pdf)
If you are experiencing technical difficulties or have questions regarding the process, please contact Jeffrey Lee 905-845-6601, ext. 3149 or email HealthProtection@oakville.ca.
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