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Update on Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)
CEC – Public Meeting of the NA PRTR Project
October 30, 2012
Jody Rosenberger
Environment Canada
Page 2 – October 30, 2012
Outline
1. Background on the NPRI – What it is, why it exists, pollution data in context, how the data is shared
2. Changes to the NPRI over time – historical, recent and future changes to requirements, and improvements to data access tools
3. Recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General
Page 3 – October 30, 2012
About the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)• The NPRI is Canada’s legislated, publicly-accessible inventory of
pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and off-site recycling. It is Canada’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR).
• The NPRI includes:1. Mandatory reporting by facilities to
Environment Canada (EC) on their pollutant releases and transfers; and mandatory publication by EC of the data received. (over 8 000 facilities and 366 listed substances for 2010)
2. Comprehensive air pollutant emission estimates compiled by EC – national, provincial and sector estimates from all emission sources in Canada for specific air pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Page 4 – October 30, 2012
Why the NPRI Exists
• The NPRI is a major starting point for pollution information in Canada. It exists to:
– Support priority setting and monitoring of environmental performance measures
– Contribute to the compilation of pollution patterns and trends– Provide environmental information in the public interest– Fulfill international reporting obligations
• Publication of the NPRI is mandated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999)
Page 5 – October 30, 2012
Canada’s Pollution Data in Context
• Data collected and generated through the NPRI is increasingly being used to support other EC initiatives, including:
– The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) to assess and manage the risks from chemicals
– Risk management activities for sectors (e.g. Metal Mining Effluent Regulations, Pollution Prevention Planning notices)
– Air Quality Management System to manage air pollutant emissions
– Air quality modeling and forecasting
• NPRI Data is complemented by other sources of information, for example:
– Greenhouse Gas emissions data from the GHG Emissions Reporting Program and the National GHG Inventory
– Monitoring Data (air and water quality monitoring, etc)
Page 6 – October 30, 2012
Sharing of NPRI data
• NPRI query site (Quick, easy to find information on a particular facility)
• Microsoft Excel flat file (most common fields in a simplified spreadsheet format )
• NPRI database – available in Microsoft Access format (Useful for custom analysis for “technical” users (industry-level analysis, time trends, etc.) )
• NPRI Map Layers for use in Google Earth (Allow users to “explore” NPRI data in an intuitive and visual way)
Page 7 – October 30, 2012
2010 NPRI Facility-Reported Data
• Latest data available is for 2010 – released March 27, 2012
• Highlights:
– More than 8 000 facilities submitted substance reports
– Total releases (air, water and land) fell by 19% from 2006 to 2010
Total Releases, Disposals and Recycling (Off-site) Reported to the NPRI for 2010
Page 8 – October 30, 2012
The NPRI has expanded since its inception…
• Since 1993, the first year of the NPRI, EC has:
– Added over 150 substances, including toxic substances and air pollutants
– Reduced thresholds or established different reporting criteria for certain substances and activities
Growth in Reporting to the NPRI, 1993-2009
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# of Listed Substances (Left Scale)
# of facilities reporting a substance report
• Changes over time available at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/inrp-npri/default.asp?lang=En&n=E2BFC2DB-1
Page 9 – October 30, 2012
Changes to Reporting Requirements for NPRI – since 2005 (1)
2006– Removed mining exemption except for pits and quarries– Added 3 PAH species– Added 13 substances to the list of ‘speciated’ VOCs– Added ‘portable’ facilities (asphalt plants, PCB destruction
units)
2007– Removed exemption for pits and quarries– Added 9 PAH species * – Reporting of dioxins and furans in grams *– Added total reduced sulphur and road dust reporting
* related to CEC Action Plan for Comparability
Page 10 – October 30, 2012
Changes to Reporting Requirements for NPRI – since 2005 (2)
2008– Added titanium dioxide pigment manufacturing to the list of
activities for dioxins and furans
2009– Tailings and Waste Rock reporting (added as of 2009, and
retroactively to 2006)
2010– Removal of Sulphur Hexafluoride– Removed requirement to report “anticipated quantities for the
subsequent 3 reporting years”
2011– Reduced threshold for Selenium (and its compounds) –
reduction to 100 kg MPO and 0.05 ppm concentration
Page 11 – October 30, 2012
Potential Future Changes to the NPRI Requirements
• The following changes are currently being considered:– Addition of Naphthenic Acids (external proposal)
– Addition of 10 substances recently added to the U.S. TRI (external proposal)
– Possible changes to reporting of particulate matter (one threshold for all three fractions) and total reduced sulphur (air only)
– Review of the NPRI substance list (possible additions, threshold changes and removals)
– Review of reporting from the oil & gas extraction industry
Page 12 – October 30, 2012
Improvements have also been made to data access tools, with more to come
• Recent Improvements, many of which were driven by input from stakeholders
– Renewal of NPRI website – “Tracking Pollution in Canada”
– Availability of data as map layers for use with Google Earth
– Linkages between facility-reported NPRI data and other data (air inventories and GHG reporting) in online search
– Simplified spreadsheet format for commonly used data (as of 2009)
– Addition of new geographic data fields
– Historical data available online back to 1993 (rather than 1994)
• Future improvements include a new online data search and mapping tool under development to:
– allow integrated searching of NPRI and GHG data; and
– improve multi-year and other search and analysis functionality.
Page 13 – October 30, 2012
NPRI is responding to recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General / Commissioner for Environment and Sustainable Development (OAG/CESD)
• November 2009 audit report focused on data quality, and whether the “data in the NPRI is fit for the intended uses of its clients”.
• Five recommendations were provided, including:– more regular consultations with NPRI data users;– developing a strategy for improving data quality;– improving understanding of coverage and compliance rates by
sector, and by substance (2 recommendations); and– expanding contextual information provided to data users.
• EC is making progress on an Action Plan to address each of the recommendations.
– Documents and information being made available on the NPRI website
Page 14 – October 30, 2012
Questions / Comments / Suggestions?
Contact the NPRIEnvironment Canada10th Floor, Fontaine Building200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd.Gatineau, QuébecK1A 0H3Tel: 1-877-877-8375Fax: (819) 953-2347E-mail: [email protected]
NPRI Website: www.ec.gc.ca/inrp-npri
Page 15 – October 30, 2012
Thank You / Merci / Gracias
