Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) and Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR)
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What Distinguishes EASR and ECA from One Another?
- Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR),
- Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA),
- Renewable Energy Approval
Environmental Compliance Services offered by SONAIR
Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA)
ECA Required for Specific Industries Including
- Cement
- Waste
- Oil refineries
- Manufacturing
The Procedure Consists of Screening:
- Dispersion Modelling Report
- Air Emissions Summary
- Potential for Noise Emissions
- Potential mitigation control measures
- Substances and Toxicology Assessment
- Formal Application/Review with MECP
- Annual Updates and/or Amendments with MECP, as needed.
Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA)
Any businesses that have the potential to release any pollutants or contaminants into the natural environment are required to prepare and submit an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA), formerly known as the Certificate of Approval (CofA) application to the Ministry of the Environmental Conservation and Parks (MECP).
Small business owners may often believe their activities and operations do not release any contaminants or pollutants into the air, simply because they do not smell or visually see any dust being emitted from their processes. If your operations require the use of any chemicals or generate particulates, chances are your facility will be required to prepare an ESDM report in support of the Environmental Compliance Approval application or Environmental Activity and Sector Registry registration as part of the ECA & EASR in Ontario process. An Emission Summary and Dispersion Modeling Report lists all of the onsite sources and accounts for any contaminants being released into the air. Contaminants emitted must be compared against Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks’ (MECP) prescribed standards and limits to determine compliance. If the limits from the general air standard cannot be met, the facility must apply for a site-specific or technical standard.
Mobile Environmental Compliance Approval
Environmental Compliance Approvals are site specific approvals and cannot be transferred to another site.
If a company has operations at two or more sites, separate ECAs must be obtained for each site. However, some companies require relocation of its equipment from time to time due to the nature of its operations, such as Ready-Mix Concrete plants. Some are stationary, and others are mobile, in which case a Mobile Environmental Compliance Approval must be obtained to encompass equipment that moves from site to site. This is part of the ECA & EASR in Ontario process. Unlike stand-alone ECAs, Mobile ECA limits a facility to only be able to operate the equipment covered under the ECA for no longer than 90 days. Otherwise, a non-mobile ECA must be submitted to the Ministry instead.
Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR)
Facility equipment which are generally considered low risk, such as natural gas-fired equipment can apply for a separate Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) in the past to omit these equipment from being assessed and covered under the Environmental Compliance Approval. A Section 20.18 can also be requested to include low-risk equipment in the ECA in order to forgo the need to register for an EASR. In 2017, the Ministry phased-in a new stream of approval, covered under O.Reg 1/17, which allows low risk facilities to register for an EASR instead of an ECA for its activities and operations.
This update falls under the scope of ECA & EASR in Ontario. While an ECA can take months for the Ministry to review and approve, an EASR eligible facility can instantly receive an approval upon registering for an EASR. Instant EASR approval is only made possible with a Licensed Engineering Practitioner (LEP), such as SONAIR Environmental, who will complete the necessary assessments for the facility, seal all the reports, and request to have the approvals issued, essentially foregoing the Ministry review and approval period.
Cement manufacturing |
Differences between an ECA and EASR
- Reviewer
- Approval Timeframe
- Eligibility
- MECP Fees
- Ministry
- Varies
- High risk facilities
- Varies
- Licensed Engineering Practitioner (LEP)
- Instantly upon registration
- Low risk facilities
- Typically $2,353
Not knowing where to start is often a challenge.
Areas We Serve
- TORONTO
- ETOBICOKE
- NORTH YORK
- SCARBOROUGH
- MISSISSAUGA
- CAMBRIDGE
- KITCHENER/ WATERLOO
- GUELPH
- WOODSTOCK
- STRATFORD
- ST. CATHARINES
- NIAGARA FALLS
- MARKHAM
- VAUGHAN
- BRAMPTON
- NEWMARKET
- BRADFORD
- BARRIE
- NEW TECUMSETH
- SUDBURY
- PICKERING
- AJAX
- OSHAWA
- BELLEVILLE
- PETERBOROUGH
