Deadlines and most recent changes: National Pollutant Release Inventory

The exemption from reporting Parts 1-3 substances from “research or testing” activities is now “research or development.” This is a change in wording only – the exempted activities remain the same.

We changed the requirements for Part 4 criteria air contaminants (CACs) to increase individual stack reporting. The changes include:

• lowering the stack height threshold from 50 m above grade to 25 m above grade
• increasing the stack air release thresholds for six of the seven CACs
• adding a stack exit temperature threshold
• adding exemptions for certain types of stacks and facilities 

You must also break down individual stack releases into several categories of combustion and fuel use activities, and report the fuel types and basis of estimate associated with each category.

If you report stack or point releases of PM2.5, PM10 or total particulate matter you must now indicate if reported releases include condensable particulate matter. You are only required to report filterable particulate matter. However, you may need to use a method of quantification that includes both condensable and filterable particulate matter, and may not be able to separate out only the filterable fraction. You will be required to indicate this with your report.

The 10-tonne total VOCs threshold no longer applies to reporting speciated VOCs. Instead, you must report a speciated VOC if 1 tonne or more of that speciated VOC is released from your facility.

The 5-tonne total VOCs threshold no longer applies to reporting speciated VOCs from an individual stack. Instead, you must report a speciated VOC for an individual stack if 0.25 tonnes or more of that speciated VOC is released from the stack.

In addition, you must also report a basis of estimate, the monthly breakdown and reasons for changes in releases from the previous year for speciated VOCs.

You must now provide the reason a substance is being reported for the first time.

You must now report any applicable identification number(s) for a provincial or territorial operating permit, approval, authorization, license, or certificate or other applicable provincial or territorial environmental program identifier(s).

We added two new bases of estimate to the list of bases of estimate: remote quantification and speciation profile.

The names of three categories of air releases have been changed:

• “Storage or handling releases” is now “storage tank and related handling releases.”
• “Spills” is now “spills or other accidental releases.”
• “Road dust” is now “unpaved road dust.”

If you report releases under the “Other non-point releases” category you must provide a comment specifying the nature of the releases