To say that our economy is dependent on “black gold” or fossil fuels is an understatement. The energy from fossil fuels, as well as the myriad of other natural resources, support our highly mobile, communicative, and knowledge-based economy. As we refine our various natural resources for “consumption,” there are environmental management considerations.
While our consumer-based society certainly enjoys the end products (gasoline/diesel fuel, mobile phones, computers, flat-screen, high-definition televisions, medical advancements, clothing, etc.) the refining process from natural resources to end product can have some negative consequences.
Environmental Management of Refinement
Managing these refining processes and protecting the environment is the job of engineers, scientists, and environmental protection professionals, including environmental regulators. The regulation of this process has recently been called into question by some groups.
Recently, a team of reporters has been looking at data concerning oil production and refining and the impact to the environment. Their findings were shared in some articles called, The Price of Oil.
One of the articles by Carolyn Jarvis and Robert Cribb was titled, “Pollution from Canadian refineries an ‘embarrassment’ compared to U.S. [United States].” In this article, they outline concerns regarding air emissions from Canadian refineries compared to U.S. refineries. The article states that, “The average Canadian refinery produced less oil while emitting substantially higher rates of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides compared with the U.S. average in 2014.”
In Full Compliance
Countering this was Peter Boag, president and CEO of the Canadian Fuels Association. Mr. Boag stated that his members are, “…in full compliance with their annual emission caps established by the relevant regulatory authority.” Refineries are subject to the rules and regulations established by the various provincial Ministries of the Environment. The air-discharge rules can vary from province to province.
Also, according to the article, “In 2001, federal, provincial, and industry officials agreed to move Canadian refinery emissions in line with the U.S. Benchmarks.” Since that time, some progress has been made, and Mr. Boag states, “Many key pollutants from Canadian refineries have been reduced 40 to 50 per cent since 2002.”
Air Quality Programs in Canada
There have been, and are, efforts to establish a more robust structure to address air quality in Canada including the following:
- The Canadian Council of Ministers (CCME) is, “…the is the primary minister-led intergovernmental forum for collective action on environmental issues of national and international concern.” The CCME has established the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), which are “…the driver for air quality management across Canada.”
- Clean Air Regulatory Agenda (CARA) was established in 2006 to provide a coordinated framework to incorporate both regulations and alternative (non-regulatory) instruments and deliver an integrated, nationally consistent approach to the reduction of air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs).
- Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). This is “… an international, voluntary initiative aimed at advancing efforts to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) in ways that protect the environment and public health, promote food and energy security, and address near term climate change.”
- The Province of Ontario has made attempts to address some of the concerns in, “Petroleum Refining – Industry Standard.”
Clean Air Act in United States
In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for stationary sources, a rule that has been in existence since 1995. Under NESHAP, the EPA regulates 187 “toxic air pollutants.” The NESHAP rules are part of the broader Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970. Individual U.S. States implement the CAA via “State Implementation Plans” or SIPs.
In references to the U.S. CAA and NESHAP Rules, Ms. Jarvis and Mr. Cribb state that, “Since [the year] 2000, the U.S. EPA has entered into 37 agreements with U.S. refinery companies…[to] require the companies to make ‘significant’ reductions in nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions along with reductions in volatile organic compounds and particulate matter emissions.” This is backed up with compulsory investment in control technologies and stiff penalties for noncompliance (see “Environmental Compliance: Increased Costs, 2017 Summary, and Recent Fines”).
So should Canada have a similar program with respect to regulating air-quality emissions? As with all environmental regulations, there are scientific (human health and the environment) and political considerations that enter into the negotiations. Industry and regulators will likely make further efforts in the future to reduce the environmental footprint of petroleum (and other) refined products.
Environmental regulations and the knowledge of the potential impact of discharges are never static. Expect changes in both in the future.
Thanks to my colleague, Andrew Ainslie, P.Geo. who helped contribute to this blog. If you need assistance with an air quality issue or other environmental compliance/assessment/remediation concern, please feel free to contact me at 519-979-7300.