1. EMA Clean Air Provisions
Erich Collyer, Edward Wu, Danio Yang
Supervisor: Dr. Mehdi Bagheri
Environmental Policy (CIVE 315)
University of Victoria
Department of Civil Engineering

2. Table of Contents
Fuel Emissions…………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 3
Oil and Gas………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4-5
Motor Vehicle and Engine Emissions………………………………………………………………………………. 6-8
Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliances…………………………………………………………………………
Open Burning……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
Remarks and Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Fuel Emissions Powers of the Lieutenant Governor
Making regulations in order to prevent and reduce fuel burning emissions.
Establishing standards and specifications, and establishing testing and certification methods in order to determine if one meets the standards and specifications.
Determining fees and charges when services or testing and certification take place and establishing who receives the fees and charges.
Requiring manufacturers who are involved in testing, certification, or selling fuels to record and report pertinent information.
Determining the durations of time and regions in British Columbia for which the regulations are applicable.
Exempting a class of fuel from a regulation. [1]

4. Oil and Gas Powers of the Lieutenant Governor
Determine the standard for which facilities and equipment are authorized to discharge air contaminants unconditionally.
Set the standard conditions which are used for the measurement of gaseous volumes.
Regulate the emissions from burning oil and gases during drilling or other activities.
Regulate the discharge of wastewater that is produced during drilling. [2]

5. Oil and Gas Regulations
Low cumulative rated power equipment and facilities, those between 100 and 600 kilowatts, are authorized to discharge air contaminants unconditionally.
Registration and authorization are required for those facilities and equipment which have a cumulative rated power greater than 600 but less than 3000 kilowatts.
Equipment and facilities are authorized to discharge air contaminants if the gas they emit contains less than 230 milligrams of total sulphur per cubic metre.
A person must not offer production liquid for transport unless the emissions from the transportation tank contain a concentration of hydrogen sulphide less than 10 parts per million. [2]

6. Motor Vehicle and Engine Emissions
Powers of the Lieutenant Governor
Making regulations for the purpose of preventing and reducing emissions from new motor vehicles and from engines.
Requiring motor vehicles or engines to install at least one emission control system.
Requiring the emission control systems to meet the design requirements and prescribed standards.
Prescribing standards, specifications and design requirements.
Providing for the testing and certification of motor vehicles, engines, and emission control systems.
Requiring manufacturers to provide emission control warranty when selling a new motor vehicle or engine.
Requiring new motor vehicles and engines to meet specified emission control standards. [1]

7. Motor Vehicle and Engine Emissions
Regulations
Clear Gasoline Regulation - December 1995 (Amended in 2010)
This regulation establishes standards for gasoline that reduce emissions of harmful pollutants, particularly volatile organics.
Amended in 2010 to allow the sale and purchase of automotive ethanol-blended fuel (E85) in British Columbia and to abolish the Reid Vapour Pressure (RVP) waiver, which allows ethanol-blended gasoline to exceed the prescribed limits for vapour pressure during warmer summer months.
Gasoline Vapour Control Regulation - May 1995 (Amended in 2004)
This regulation requires the installation and use of gasoline-vapour control systems * at service stations, bulk-gasoline storage plants, gasoline terminals and on truck cargo tankers.
Every owner of a cargo tanker with over litres capacity that is used to deliver gasoline must equip their tanker with a vapour balancing system. [2]
* These systems are designed to prevent the escape of gasoline vapours into the atmosphere during the transfer of gasoline between fuel storage tanks and cargo tankers.

8. Motor Vehicle and Engine Emissions
Regulations
Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Warranty Regulation - April 1996 (Amended in 2004)
This regulation prohibits the sale or the making available for sale, of a motor vehicle in BC unless the manufacturer promises to fix the vehicle free of charge if there are defects in materials or workmanship that cause the vehicle to fail emission standards, or the vehicle fails AirCare. [2]

9. Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliances
Powers of the Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor in Council has the power to do any of the following:
Regulate the sale and lease of solid fuel burning domestic appliances.
Enact emission limits for solid fuel burning domestic appliances.
Create standards and specifications for the burning of solid fuels in domestic appliances.
Require the conductions of tests to meet certification standards for solid fuel burning domestic appliances.
Decide which persons or organizations will manage the testing and certification of solid fuel burning domestic appliances.
Detail the form and placement of labels on solid fuel burning domestic appliances
Formulate the application of fees pertaining to the use of solid fuel burning domestic appliances. [1]

10. Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliances
Regulations
On September 19th, 2016 the government of British Columbia adopted a new Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliance Regulation, replacing the old one which had been in place since 1994.
The new regulation mandates the reduction of Particulate Matter emissions by 40% compared to the 1992 emission levels, building up to a 73% reduction by 2020.
Under the new regulation the sale of high emitting outdoor wood boilers is prohibited in British Columbia.
New wood boilers must be installed with 40 m setbacks(10 m for cleaner burning outdoor pellet boilers) from property lines.
Use of older non-certified boilers must be discontinued by November 1, Unless they meet the setback requirements. [3]

11. Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliances
Banned and Permissible Materials
It is legal to burn the following materials in wood stoves and other solid burning appliances: Cordwood, wood chips, ends from cutting lumber to length, wood pellets, manufactured firelogs, corn kernels, and seed hulls. (Paper and cardboard may be used for the purposes of starting fires)
It is illegal to burn the following materials in wood stoves and other wood burning appliances: Garbage, Plastics, Treated or painted wood, Demolition debris, Rubber, and Unseasoned wood products. [3]

12. Open Burning Regulations
Powers of the Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor in Council has the authority to make regulations that encapsulate the conditions and controls pertaining to the burning of material from land clearing, land grading, or tilling. [1]
Regulations
Open burning of debris must be conducted at a distance of at least 100 metres from neighbouring residences and businesses and 500 metres from schools in session, hospitals and facilities used for continuing care.
This burning must be carried out in such a way that it does not obfuscate the vision of people operating vehicles on provincial roadways or at airports.
The direction of airflow must be considered during open burning, in order to prevent pollution.
The open burning of tires, plastics, drywall, demolition waste, domestic waste, paint, hazardous waste, tar paper, treated lumber, railway tires, manure, rubber, asphalt, fuel and lubricant containers, and biomedical waste is prohibited. [2]

13. Remarks and Recommendations
Parts of the Environmental Management Act can be vague in wording or implications.
The act would benefit from more detailed quantitative standards and less qualitative prescriptions.
Including further details on enforcement within the act itself would be beneficial.

14. References
[1] "Environmental Management Act", Bclaws.ca, [Online]. Available: [Accessed: 24- Feb ].
[2] "Air Quality Regulatory Framework", Bcairquality.ca, [Online]. Available: [Accessed: 25- Feb ].
[3] British Columbia Ministry of Environment, "FACTSHEET on the SOLID FUEL BURNING DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REGULATION", 2016.