| Term | Definition |
| Aesthetic Objective | Not a Health Related Parameter for ODWO/ODWS. |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute. |
| ASTM | American Society for Testing and Materials. |
| Basic Comprehensive | Site wide Certificate of Approval (see C of A) covering all air emissions from all sources at a facility. The Basic Comprehensive C of A is good for a limited period of time, and for specified production levels, and within those limits, allows some flexibility for changing equipment and processes without additional applications to amend or issue new approvals. (An Enhanced Comprehensive C of A is under development by MOE, to cover multiple media approvals (i.e. air, water, waste). Enhanced Comprehensive approvals will cover longer periods of time and process increases, but may only be available to Environmental Leaders. |
| Blue Book | Nickname for PWQO and related MOE water quality policy called Water Management Policies, Guidelines, Provincial Water Quality Objectives of the MOE. |
| C of A | Certificate of Approval. Permit by MOE Director to discharge into the natural environment, including air, noise, sewage and solid waste approvals. Different types include equipment-specific, site-wide, or comprehensive. In Ontario, air emissions C of As are required under the authority of section 9 of the Environmental Protection Act, solid waste approvals under EPA s.27, sewage works approvals pursuant to section 53 of the OWRA and Water Works under section 52 of the OWRA. Drinking water system approvals are required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
| Canadian Water Guidelines | Federal equivalent of PWQO. |
| CEAA | Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, also Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, also Canadian Environmental Auditing Association. |
| CEPA 1999 | Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. |
| Charter | Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canada's constitutional document protecting the rights of individuals and in some cases companies against arbitrary exercise of power by the state. |
| Class EA | Class Environmental Assessment under Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act. The Class EA is a streamlined process for infrastructure projects and other undertakings such as municipal roads and sewers with predictable environmental impacts. |
| CSA | Canadian Standards Association also known as CSA International. |
| DFO | Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans. |
| EA | Ontario's environmental assessment process. |
| EAA | Environmental Assessment Act (Ontario). |
| EAAB | MOE's Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch. Area of MOE dedicated to reviewing permit applications for discharges to the natural environment (including C of A's), and facilitating EA approvals. |
| EBR | Environmental Bill of Rights. This Ontario legislation requires that specified Provincial ministries give public notice and a right to comment on proposals for permits, licences, approvals, policies, regulations and laws that will have environmental impact. The EBR also extends the right to appeal approvals to affected persons, gives the public the right to sue for environmental harm and to formally request that the government investigate breaches of environmental laws. |
| EC | Environment Canada. |
| EMS | Environmental Management System. A management structure that allows an organization to assess and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services. |
| EPA | In Ontario - Environmental Protection Act. In the U.S. - the Environmental Protection Agency. |
| ER | Environmental Registry created under the Environmental Bill of Rights. |
| ERT | Environmental Review Tribunal - combines the former Environmental Appeal Board and the Environmental Assessment Board. The Tribunal hears matters under the Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Environmental Assessment Act. |
| ESA | Environmental Site Assessment. Phase I is unobtrusive investigation and Phase II is subsurface investigation of environmental conditions of land and buildings. |
| ESDM | Emissions Summary Dispersion Modelling Report. This is a detailed report on all air emissions from a facility. |
| ESR | Environmental Site Registry under the EPA Brownfields provisions. |
| Generator | Waste generator under Reg. 347 - "operator of a waste generation facility." [Note that "generation facility" in Ontario's Airborne Emissions Monitoring and Reporting Regulation (O. Reg. 127/01) refers to an electrical power generation facility.] |
| IEB | Ontario MOE's Investigations and Enforcement Branch. |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
| ISO 14000 | ISO Environmental Management series -The ISO 14000 standards are designed to provide an internationally-recognized framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation and auditing. They do not prescribe environmental performance targets, but instead provide organizations with the tools to assess and control the environmental impact of their activities, products or services. ISO 14001 is the principal Environmental Management Systems standard. |
| MCBS | Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services (formerly MCCR) (cbs.gov.on.ca). |
| MCCR | Obsolete term - was Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, now Ministry of Consumer and Business Services (MCBS) and privatized standards division is now called TSSA. |
| MISA | Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement (Ontario wastewater discharge regulations for prescribed companies and sectors). |
| MMAH | Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (mah.gov.on.ca). |
| MNR | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (mnr.gov.on.ca). |
| MOE | Ontario Ministry of the Environment (www.ene.gov.on.ca). |
| MTO | Ontario Ministry of Transportation (mto.gov.on.ca). |
| NBC | National Building Code of Canada. |
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology. |
| Noise | Unwanted or nuisance sound. |
| NPC | Noise Pollution Control. A series of guidance publications of the MOE (Ontario) referenced in the Guide for Applying for Approval (Air & Noise s.9 EPA (February 2005). |
| NPRI | National Pollutant Release Inventory. Federal requirement under CEPA 1999 for annual reporting of emissions of 268 listed contaminants that are "manufactured, processed or otherwise used" in Canada. |
| NRC | National Research Council of Canada. |
| NSC | National Standard of Canada. |
| NSNR | New Substances Notification Regulations. CEPA 1999 regulations requiring reporting of information prior to the introduction of new substances (chemicals, polymers and biotechnology products) into commerce in Canada. NSNR are intended to provide EC and Health Canada to assess whether a new substance is potentially toxic and whether regulatory controls are required. |
| ODWO | Ontario Drinking Water Objectives - obsolete term replaced by ODWS. |
| ODWS | Ontario Drinking Water Standards - legal requirements for drinking water quality per Drinking Water Protection Regulation (O.Reg. 459/00) replaced ODWO. |
| OHS | Occupational Health and Safety. |
| OHSA | Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, administered by the Ministry of Labour. (Note: OSHA is a U.S. term.) |
| OMAFRA | Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (gov.on.ca/OMAFRA). |
| OMB | Ontario Municipal Board. |
| OU | Odour Units -The concentration of an odorous compound or mixture that is detected as present (but not necessarily identified) by 50% of subjected population. |
| OWRA | Ontario Water Resources Act. |
| P2 | Pollution Prevention. The use of processes, practices, materials, products or energy that avoid or minimize the creation of pollutants and waste, and reduce overall risk to human health or the environment. Note P2 requirements in CEPA 1999 and Toronto Sewer Use By-law. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 authorizes the federal government to require mandatory P2 Plans from designated facilities or sectors. |
| Part IV | Ontario Fire Code. This regulates storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids other than motive or heating fuels. The latter are covered by the Liquid Fuels Handling Code and the Fuel Oil Code. |
| PEO | Professional Engineers of Ontario. |
| POI | Point of Impingement. For predicting compliance under Reg. 346 (Air Pollution). The nearest point where air contamination emitted by a source will impinge on a building or beyond the property line. Defined in the MOE's ESDM Procedure as "any point on the ground or on a receptor, such as nearby buildings, located outside the company's property boundaries at which the highest concentration of a contaminant caused by the aggregate emission of that contaminant from a facility is expected to occur." |
| PPS | Ontario's Provincial Policy Statement. Provincial land use policies that must be considered by all tribunals and authorities when making land use planning decisions in Ontario. Administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. |
| PWQO | Provincial Water Quality Objectives. Ontario guidelines for surface water quality. Often incorporated into sewage works orders and certificates of approval. |
| QP | Qualified Person. A self-declared and MOE registered environmental professional permitted to certify a record of site condition based on a Phase I ESA (QP1, Phase II ESA (P2), or Risk Assessment, (QPRA). |
| RA | Risk Assessment pursuant to Ontario EPA s.168.1 and O. Reg. 153/04. A science based method for determining maximum contaminant concentrations that remain protective of human health and the ecology of a specific property. |
Receptor*
- or Point of Reception | A building or land use that may be impacted by emissions from a facility (air, noise, vibration). A receptor is generally a place where people live, or conduct educational or recreational or religious activities. For example, for acoustic assessments described in the User Guide for Basic Comprehensive Certificates of Approval, "Point(s) of Reception include any of the following existing or zoned for future use premises":
- Permanent, seasonal or rental residences;
- Hotels/motels;
- Nursing/retirement homes;
- Hospitals;
- Campgrounds; or
- Noise sensitive buildings such as schools, day care facilities and places of worship.
*The MOE extends the definition for some purposes to include commercial malls and other places of business. |
| Reg. 346 | Ontario General Air Pollution Regulation. This regulation revoked and replaced on November 30, 2005 by O. Reg. 419/05, prescribes standards for permissible air emissions and the modelling requirements to determine compliance at the POI (point of impingement). |
| Reg. 347 | Ontario General Waste Regulation. This regulation designates wastes by categories of waste or recyclable materials, regulates the manner in which they may be disposed. The regulation also establishes a waste generator registration regime and a waste-manifesting regime. |
| RSC | Record of Site Condition. A form containing a certification by a property owner and qualified person of the scope of completion of the clean-up of a contaminated site in accordance with the Guideline for Use at Contaminated Sites in Ontario (prior to October 1, 2004), or the EPA's O. Reg. 153/04. |
| SCC | Standards Council of Canada. |
| SDB | MOE's Standards Development Branch. An area of MOE responsible for developing new environmental standards (incl. air quality) and assessment techniques (including Brownfield Risk Assessments). |
| SSRA | Site Specific Risk Assessment. A method of deriving site-specific criteria and engineering solutions for clean-up of a contaminated site. In Ontario an SSRA must be approved by the MOE pursuant to the Guideline for use at Contaminated Sites in Ontario. Now known as RA (see RA above). |
| STAC | MOE's Selected Targets for Air Compliance program. A targeted audit program by abatement staff to ensure that facilities are in compliance with MOE air quality requirements. |
| SWAT | Soil, Water, Air Team of the MOE; abatement/enforcement unit targeting industrial sectors. |
| TDGA | Canada Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act. Regulates national and international transport of hazardous materials. Each province has a corresponding provincial dangerous goods transportation statute for interprovincial transport. |
| TSSA | Technical Standards and Safety Authority Inc. Ontario private agency administering standards and safety in areas formerly covered by seven individual statutes administered by the MCCR -now MCBS, including fuels safety (gasoline and other motive fuels and heating fuels), boilers and pressure vessels, elevators, operating devices, engineers and others. The seven statutes were repealed in 2001 and replaced by the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000. |
| ULC | Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada; UL is U.S. counterpart. |
| Vibration | Physical manifestation of acute changes in sound pressure. |
