Framework For CWS Development

Dioxins and Furans Canada-Wide Standards Development Committee

Terms of Reference

Background

On January 29, 1998, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment signed the Canada-Wide Accord on Environmental Harmonization.  The Sub-Agreement on Canada-Wide Environmental Standards was one of three sub-agreements signed by Ministers at the same time.  The sub-agreement outlines the process for developing Canada-Wide Standards (CWS) and sets out what criteria need to be addressed in the course of that process.  When a CWS is prepared for consideration by Ministers (i.e., an item where Section 6.2 of the sub-agreement applies), the package that would go forward is expected to normally include:
_ one or more numerical values (targets or limits); _ an initial set of actions to address the CWS by each jurisdiction; _ a time frame for its achievement; and _ a reporting protocol.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Development Committee is responsible for overseeing the preparation of the CWS for dioxins and furans.  The Committee reports to the Environmental Planning and Protection Committee of CCME on progress towards the development of the dioxins and furans CWS, and seeks direction or approval as necessary.  

The mandate of the Committee is to:
_ oversee the activities of work groups established to develop the initial set of actions and reporting protocols; _ ensure stakeholder and public involvement in the process; _ ensure that appropriate socio-economic considerations are integrated into the CWS; 
_ ensure consistency with the development processes of other CWS development committees; and
_ bring forward the complete CWS package for consideration by Ministers in a timely manner.

The tasks of the Development Committee include: _ selection of the priority sectors for development of emission limits as CWS, using the Inventory of Releases compiled by the Federal/Provincial Task Force on Dioxins and Furans as a starting point; _ review of, and response to, the recommendations in the Inventory of Releases;
_ establishment of work groups to address the selected priority sectors, including appropriate stakeholders, in consultation with the Federal/Provincial Task Force;
_ identification of opportunities for collaboration with other CWS development committees on sectors of common interest to avoid duplication of effort and resources;
_ development of a strategy for engaging stakeholders and the public in the CWS development process;
_ working with the Economic Integration Task Group on development of an approach to the conduct of socio-economic evaluations for priority sectors;
_ coordination and management of  work groups in order to ensure that they are able to keep to their workplans; and _ preparation of the final CWS package for consideration by Ministers, including the statements of initial actions by jurisdictions, timelines for achieving the CWS, and the monitoring and reporting plan.



DIOXINS & FURANS: 

Framework For CWS Development


1. Introduction

The presence of dioxins & furans in the Canadian environment has been attributed to three principle sources:
1/ point source discharges;
2/ contamination from in situ dioxins & furans 3/ loadings from long range transportation of air pollutants. (LRTAP)

Point Sources

Discharges of dioxins & furans to the aquatic environment reached non-measurable levels in 1995, due to aggressive federal and provincial regulations and the efforts of the pulp and paper industry to comply with the emission standards.  

The January 1999 Inventory of Releases prepared by Environment Canada and the Federal/Provincial Task Force on Dioxins and Furans provides basic information essential to identification of priority sectors for controlling of releases of dioxins & furans to the atmosphere, and to soil where applicable.

In Situ

Soil, water, sediments and tissues can be contaminated with dioxins and furans as a result of past practices, as well as from current releases.  In some instances, the sources of contamination have been eliminated but the residual dioxins and furans are cycled through different media and the food chain as a result of natural cycles or anthropogenic disturbance.

National guidelines are being developed for soil, water, sediment, and tissues in support of CWS for dioxins and furans.  These ambient levels will serve as "alert levels" or benchmarks for monitoring and managing dioxins and furans that are already present in the environment. The national guidelines could be used to evaluate the risks associated with dioxins and furans already present in the environment, as well as other scientific, socio-economic, and technological considerations.

Long Range Transportation of Air Pollutants (LRTAP)

LRTAP is recognized as a likely pathway for dioxin and furan loadings to enter the Canadian environment.  However, these loadings have not been quantified, or the pattern of regional significance determined.

LRTAP is dealt with in international fora through multilateral conventions or bilateral accords.  CWS for dioxins and furans are not applicable for sources external to Canada.


2. CWS Development Activities to Date

For the purposes of developing CWS for dioxins and furans, CCME is partnering with three existing initiatives and initiating a new one.
Integration of these four activities within the Champion structure has constituted a challenge because of differences in timing, media and products.

Control of releases
The Inventory of Releases was prepared under the auspices of CEPA/FPAC, and focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on releases to the atmosphere.  With finalization of the Inventory, it is proposed that there be a transition from CEPA-FPAC to the CWS development process for further work on dioxins and furans.  The recommendations contained in the Inventory are being referred to the Development Committee for consideration in developing dioxins and furans CWS.

CEPA Strategic Options Process (SOP)
Environment Canada has a process underway to assess the options for controlling substances classified as toxic per the definition provided in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), and for a number of sectors has established working groups including stakeholders to proceed with recommendations arising from that process.  It is proposed to utilize these pre-existing groups where they exist for a priority sector to derive Dioxins and Furans CWS and conduct stakeholder consultation.

Sediment, tissues and water
Development of this set of national guidelines is led by the CCME Water Quality Guidelines Task Group.  The WQGTG had been developing ambient national guidelines, but have adapted their program and products to be consistent with the Sub-agreement on Canada-Wide Standards.

Soil
The CCME Soil Quality Guidelines Task Group has undertaken the development of national guidelines for dioxins and furans in soil as a new initiative.

Sources and Pathways
All of the existing groups have generated information on sources and/or pathways relative to their specific focus.  The Inventory of Releases report provides a comprehensive inventory of the sources of dioxin and furan releases to the environment.  The WQGTG guideline report includes information on sources and releases, and includes a comprehensive assessment of environmental concentrations of dioxins and furans in the Canadian environment based on available literature.


3. An Approach to Developing CWS for Dioxins & Furans

Dioxins and furans have been designated as "Track 1" substances under CEPA, and are therefore priority substances for achieving virtual elimination under the  CCME Policy for the Management of Toxic Substances.  One way of proceeding is to adopt virtual elimination as the long-term goal, and develop Canada-Wide Standards which would significantly contribute to the achievement of that goal in the shortest time frame considered reasonable.

The Inventory of Releases report lists quantities of emissions from specific sectors by province and territory, and provides national summaries for each sector.  This provides an opportunity to quickly identify an initial set of priority sectors which cumulatively represent approximately 90 percent of Canadian releases of dioxins and furans to the environment.  These sectors vary from being regional or provincial, to national in scope and presence.
There are many other sectors that are very small sources of dioxins and furans emissions, and they could be addressed at a later date.

The transformation of national ambient guidelines for water, sediment, tissue, and soil into CWS will use existing or develop new national implementation frameworks that provide concrete guidance on the use of national guidelines as benchmarks in evaluating existing levels in the environment.  The guidelines then form the basis of establishing site or area-specific criteria for remediation purposes, where more detailed site investigations may consider specific risks associated with dioxins and furans already present at a site or in a defined geographic area, as well as other scientific, socio-economic, and technological considerations.  The guidelines can also play a role in maintaining and protection of currently pristine or non-impacted sites. Both of these steps are important in the management of existing levels of dioxins and furans in various environmental compartments.

It should be understood that the national ambient guidelines will provide the basis for dealing with dioxins and furans that are present in the environment, while emission targets are intended to move us toward virtual elimination of releases.

The initial set of actions developed to achieve the CWS will be developed by each jurisdiction and will reflect the variation in sources of dioxins and furans.  Where a sector is found only in one province, the process of developing the initial set of actions will not be national in scope.  The work group would involve the appropriate provincial and federal agencies, sector representatives and key regional stakeholders.  Sectors that are national in scope would best be addressed by a national work group with representation from all interested provinces and territories, the federal government, sectoral representatives and key national or regional stakeholders.


4. The Product

Canada-Wide Standard:  a set of emissions targets which will significantly contribute to the achievement of virtual elimination.

Initial set of actions:  as prepared by each jurisdiction for region-specific or national priority sectors.

Time frame for achievement:  by priority sector and/or for achieving a specific percentage reduction i.e. 90% (short to medium term); virtual elimination as a long-term goal.

Reporting protocol:  will be established in accordance with the principles being developed by the Canada-Wide Standards Implementation Committee.

Anne-Marie Sleeman, Executive Director
BC Environmental Network (BCEN)
1672 East 10th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Vancouver, BC Canada V5N 1X5
EMAIL: asleeman@bcen.bc.ca
Ph: (604) 879-2279; Fx: (604) 879-2272
BCEN Web Site: www.bcen.bc.ca

Our Mission is: "Working to Ensure a Healthy Future." The BCEN is comprised of 250 environmental organizations in British Columbia. We are a regional affiliate of the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN), Ottawa and the Environmental Fund of BC.

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