Framework Agreement Technical Workshop

March 2009

Richmond, British Columbia

Environmental Standards for Water, Air, and Soil

Topics covered

• Overview of First Nation challenge• Summary of Guidelines and Standards--

Federal and Provincial» Water» Air» Soil

Why establish standards?

For those areas identified as essential by the Parties, First Nation environmental protection standards and punishments will have at least the same effect as those in the laws of the province in which the First Nation is situated (Framework Agreement, Sec. 24.5 )

Terms and definitions

• Guideline : Numerical concentration or narrative statement regarding a designated water use» May be flexible

• Criteria : Levels of water quality that render a body of water suitable for its designated use

• Objective : Numerical concentration or narrative statement intended to protect specified water bodies

• Standard : An objective that is recognized in enforceable environmental control laws of a level of government

Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME)

• What is CCME? Environment ministers of federal, provincial and territorial governments

• Mandate: » Promote cooperation and coordination of inter-

jurisdictional environmental issues» Propose nationally consistent environmental

guidelines and standards

• CCME has no enforcement authority, provides advice only

Contaminated Sites Management Working Group

• Who are they?» Co-chaired by Environment Canada and the

Department of National Defense, it currently comprises 15 federal departments and agencies

• Mandate:» Develop a consistent approach for managing

federal contaminated sites issues » Establish a forum for discussing existing

technologies, guidelines, and policies» Provide information on contaminated soil,

sediment, and water (not air)

Water Quality Guidelines

Federal Water Quality Guidelines

• Guidelines for Canadian Water Quality based on scientific research into:» Health effects (of contaminants)» Aesthetic effects (taste, odour)» Facility operations (water treatment)

• Water uses covered by Guidelines:» Drinking water» Agriculture (irrigation and livestock)» Recreational and aesthetic use » Protection of aquatic life (freshwater and

marine)

Water Quality Guidelines –Federal and Provincial comparison

• Manitoba has unique guidelines for animal and human consumption of aquatic life tissue containing chemical residues (PCBs, DDT, etc.)

• Saskatchewan and British Columbia have objectives and enforceable standards

• Alberta uses CCME (federal) guidelines for drinking water, and provincial guidelines for other water uses

• CCME works with provinces on harmonized federal-provincial standards

Drinking Water Quality Inventory Example (mg/l)

200,000100,000Magnesium

3,2003,200Nitrite

2525101010 Arsenic

MBSKABBCCanSubstance

Air Quality

Air Quality Objectives

• National ambient air quality objectives (NAAQOs) based on scientific assessment of:» Effects of pollution on receptors

–Human health, vegetation, animals, aesthetic air properties

» Levels of acceptable risk to pollutant receptors

Air Quality Objectives

• Scientific assessments have been completed and objectives set for:» carbon monoxide (CO)» hydrogen sulphide (H 2S)» nitrogen dioxide (NO 2)» ozone (O 3)» sulphur dioxide (SO 2)» particulate matter (PM)

• Federal standards set for ozone and PM 2.5» Particles smaller than 2.5 µm (micro meters)» Enforceable under CEPA

Air Quality Objectives –federal and provincial comparison

• Manitoba uses guidelines , objectives , and standards at maximum tolerable (time-based), acceptable, and desirable levels

• Saskatchewan uses both federal and provincial standards and objectives ;

• Alberta has most extensive list of air quality objectives , many exclusive to petrochemical industry (some from U.S.);

• British Columbia uses objectives and guidelines related to maximum desirable, acceptable, and tolerable values

Air Quality Inventory Example (µg/m3)

15,00015,00015,00014,30015,0001 hrCarbon monoxide

115 147.5-1411 hrHydrogen sulphide

MBSKABBC CanTime Substance

Soil Quality Standards and Guidelines

Petroleum-Hydrocarbons (PHCs)

• Canada-wide standards for PHC set by CCME in 2001.

• About 60% of Canada’s contaminated sites involve PHC (CCME, 2008)

» 3-tiered, risk-based remedial standard developed for four generic land uses –

– agriculture, residential-parkland, commercial, industrial

» Standards adopted by Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (BC is still considering)

Soil Quality Guidelines

• Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines adopted nationally in 2001

• Based on effect of inorganic and organic substances on humans and ecosystems:» Residential-parkland, » Agricultural, » Commercial, » Industrial land uses.

Sediment Quality Guidelines

• CCME established Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines (2001)

» values established for freshwater and marine sediments

• Variations exist in provincial use and application of federal guidelines

Soil Quality Guidelines -British Columbia

• British Columbia contaminated sites management:» separate standards for urban parks and

residential areas» BC standards vary considerably from CCME

values (higher and lower),

• BC Science Advisory Board recommends amendments to CCME guidelines and BC standards

Soil Quality Guidelines -Alberta and Saskatchewan

• Alberta and Saskatchewan have added soil guidelines and standards for hydrocarbons at upstream oil and gas facilities» Alberta guidelines are adopted from

CCME, US Environmental Protection Agency, and provincial agencies

Soil Quality Guidelines -Saskatchewan

• Saskatchewan uses CCME guidelines for provincial site remediation» Three primary land uses assessed:

–Agriculture –Residential–Forest

• Upstream petroleum remediation guidelines include CCME PHC standards

• Separate guideline values for surface soil and subsoil

Soil Quality Guidelines -Manitoba

• Manitoba has three-tiered system for contaminated site remediation:» Tier 1 – CCME guidelines and criteria for soil,

sediments, and water– Including CCME PHC standards

» Tier 2 – modification of Tier 1 values based on specific site characteristics

» Tier 3 –risk assessment of sites for which criteria do not apply

Categories of soil contaminants

8 distinct groups of contaminants:1. General and inorganic parameters (i.e. pH)2. Metals (i.e. lead)3. Hydrocarbons (i.e. benzene)4. Halogenated aliphatics (i.e. Trichloroethene)5. Chlorinated aromatics (i.e. PCBs)6. Pesticides (i.e. DDT)7. Other organics (i.e. Ethylene glycol)8. Radionuclides (i.e. Uranium-238 Series)

Alberta Soil Quality Guidelines Inventory (PHCs)

Benzo[a]pyreneFluoranthene

Benzo[g,h,i]peryleneAnthracene

Benzo[k]fluorantheneAcenaphthylene

Benzo[b+j]fluorantheneAcenapthene

Benz[a]anthracenePHC species

Carcinogenic PAHsStyrene

PyreneXylenes

Indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrenePhenanthreneEthylbenzene

Dibenz[a,h]anthraceneNaphthaleneToluene

ChryseneFluoreneBenzene

BC Saskatchewan

ContaminantsFine grained

soilCourse grained

soil

Fine grained

soil

Course grained

soil Fine grained soilCourse

grained soilGeneral and inorganinc

parameterspH (in 0.01 M CaCl2) 6-8 6-8 6-8.5 6-8.5 6 - 8 6-8 6-8

Cyanide (Free) 0.9 0.9 10.0-50.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9Fluoride 2000 2000 400 200 200 2000 2000

Sulphur (elemental) 500 500Metals

Antimony 40 40 20 20 20 40 40Arsenic (inorganic) 12 12 15 - 100 17 17 12 12 12

Barium 500 500 400 - 6,500 500 500 500 500 500Barite-barium 3,200 3,200

Beryllium 8 8 4 5 5 8 8Boron (hot water soluble) 2 2

Cadmium 10 10 1.5 - 1000 10 10 10 10 10Chromium (hexavalent) 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

Chromium (total) 0 64 60 - 300 64 64 64 0 64Cobalt 300 300 50 20 20 300 300Copper 63 63 90 - 350,000 63 63 63 63 63Lead 140 140 100 - 100,000 140 140 500 140 140

Mercury (inorganic) 6.6 6.6 15 - 100 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.6Molybdenum 40 40 10 4 4 40 40

Nickel 50 50 100 50 50 100 50 50Selenium 1 1 0.15 - 300,000 1 1 1 1

Silver 40 40 20 20 20 40 40Thallium 1 1 1 1 1 1

Tin 300 300 50 5 5 300 300Uranium 23 23

Vanadium 130 130 200 130 130 130 130 130Zinc 200 200 150 - 35,000 200 200 200 200 200

Hydrocarbons

Benzene 0.0068/0.0068 0.0095/0.011 0.4 - 1,000 0.046 0.073 0.5 0.0068/0.0068 0.0095/0.011Toluene 0.08/0.08 0.37/0.37 1.5 - 40,000 0.52 0.49 3 0.08/0.08 0.37/0.37

Ethylbenzene 0.018/0.018 0.082/0.082 1 - 7,000 0.11 0.21 5 0.018/0.018 0.082/0.082Xylenes 2.4/2.4 11/11 5 - 65,000 15 12 5 2.4/2.4 11/11Styrene 50 50 5 0.68 0.8 50 50

F1 180/180 30/40 210 24 180/180 30/40F2 250/250 150/150 150 130 250/250 150/150F3 800/3500 400/2500 1,300 300 800/3500 400/2500F4 5600/10000 2800/10000 5,600 2,800 5600/10000 2800/10000

Acenapthene 0.32 0.38Acenaphthylene 5 6

Anthracene 0.0046 0.0056

Residential contaminated soil criteria (ppm)CCME Alberta Manitoba

Fluoranthene 0.032 0.039Fluorene 0.29 0.34

Naphthalene 0.6 0.6 5 0.016 0.018 0.6 0.6Phenanthrene 50 50 5 0.051 0.061 50 50

Pyrene 100 100 10 0.034 0.04 100 100Carcinogenic PAHs IARC<1.05.3; IARC<1.0 Benz[a]anthracene 10 10 1 0.07 0.083 10 10

Benzo[b+j]fluoranthene 10 10 1 - - 10 10Benzo[k]fluoranthene 10 10 1 - - 10 10Benzo[g,h,i]perylene - -

Benzo[a]pyrene 0.7 0.7 1.0 - 5 0.7 0.77 0.7 0.7Chrysene - -

Dibenz[a,h]anthracene 10 10 1 7.4 8.4 10 10Indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene 10 10 1 - - 10 10Halogenated Aliphatics

Vinyl chloride 0.0083 0.00034

1,1-Dichloroethene 0.15 0.021Trichloroethene

(Trichloroethylene, TCE) 0.01 0.01 0.65 - 200 0.054 0.012 0.01 0.01Tetrachloroethene (Tetrachloroethylene,

Perchloroethylene, PCE) 0.2 0.2 5 - 1,000 0.69 0.16 0.2 0.2

1,2-Dichloroethane 0.025 0.0027

Dichloromethane (Methylene chloride) 0.1 0.095

Trichloromethane (Chloroform) 0.0029 0.001

Tetrachloromethane (Carbon tetrachloride) 0.013 0.00056

Dibromochloromethane 0.91 0.27Chlorinated Aromatics

Chlorobenzene 10 10 2 0.39 0.018 10 101,2-Dichlorobenzene 10 10 0.097 0.18 10 101,4-Dichlorobenzene 10 10 0.051 0.098 10 10

1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene 0.26 0.261,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 0.78 0.231,3,5-Trichlorobenzene 1.9 0.13

1,2,3,4-Tetrachlorobenzene 0.042 0.051,2,3,5-Tetrachlorobenzene 0.37 0.11,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene 0.19 0.052

Pentachlorobenzene 3.7 4.5Hexachlorobenzene 10 10 2 3.6 0.5 10 102,4-Dichlorophenol 0.0029 0.0034

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol 0.19 0.372,3,4,6-Tetrachlorophenol 0.039 0.047

Pentachlorophenol 7.6 7.6 0.15 - 300,000 0.024 0.029 7.6 7.6

Pentachlorophenol 7.6 7.6 0.15 - 300,000 0.024 0.029 7.6 7.6Dioxins & Furans 0.000004 0.000004

PCBs 1.3 1.3 5 22 22 5 1.3 1.3PesticidesAldicarb 0.041 0.065Aldrin 3.4 3.4

Atrazine and metabolites 0.0088 0.01Azniphos-methyl 0.41 0.75

Bendiocarb 0.14 0.21Bromoxynil 0.044 0.052

Carbaryl 1.9 3.6Carbofuran 0.68 1.2

Chlorothalonil 0.0084 0.01Chlorpyrifos 49 95Cyanazine 0.12 0.21

2,4-D 0.43 0.67

DDT 0.7 0.7 10.0 - 15.0 0.015 0.018 0.7 0.7Diazinon 2.2 4.2Dicamba 0.5 0.79

Dichlofop-methyl 2 2.4Dieldrin 0.011 0.014

Dimethoate 0.0058 0.0055Dinoseb 2.8 5.5Diquat 11 21Diuron 1.9 3.5

Endosulfan 0.0085 0.01Endrin 0.0075 0.009

Glyphosate 0.054 0.049Heptachlor epoxide 0.039 0.01

Lindane 0.31 0.6Linuron 0.051 0.059

Malathion 0.82 1.3MCPA 0.02 0.032

Methoxychlor 0.046 0.056Metolachlor 0.048 0.055Metribuzin 0.024 0.028

Paraquat (as dichloride) 1.1 2.2Parathion 7.2 14Phorate 0.075 0.14

Picloram 0.024 0.022Simazine 0.033 0.038

Tebuthiuron 2.5 3.7

Tebuthiuron 2.5 3.7Terbufos 0.08 0.15

Toxaphene 3.3 4.8Triallate 0.0077 0.0092

Trifluarin 0.038 0.045Other Organics

Aniline 0.36 0.6Bis(2-ethyl-hexyl)phthalate 34 41

Dibutyl phthalate 0.54 0.65Dichlorobenzidine 4.2 8.1

Diisopropanolamine 180 180 14 17 180 180Ethylene glycol 960 960 1,500 - 6,500 60 62 960 960 960

Hexachlorobutadiene 0.026 0.0067Methylmethacrylate 1.3 0.1

MTBE 0.044 0.046Nonylphenol + ethoxylates 5.7 5.7 2.7 3.3 5.7 5.7

Phenol 3.8 3.8 0.0028 0.0024 3.8 3.8Sulfolane 0.8 0.8 0.18 0.21 0.8 0.8

Radionuclides

Uranium-238 Series (all progeny) 0.3 0.3

Uranium-238 (238U, 234Th, 234pa, 234U) 10 10Thorium-230 10 10

Radium-226 (in equilibrium with its progeny) 0.3 0.3

Lead-210 (in erquilibrium with 210B1 and 210Po) 0.3 0.3

Thorium-232 Series (all progeny) 0.3 0.3

Thorium-232 10 10

Radium-228 (in equilibrium with 228 progeny) 0.3 0.3

Thorium-228 (in equilibrium with its progeny) 0.3 0.3

Potassium-40 17 17Misc unmatched

contaminantsPolychlorinated dibenzo-p-

dioxins/ dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) 4 4 0.00035 - 0.001 4 4

Conductivity 4 4 2 - 8 4 4

Soil Quality Guidelines comparison

MBSKABBCCCMESubstance

12121715 – 10012Arsenic

88548Beryllium

Residential contaminated soil criteria (ppm)

Next steps

• Assess implications for First Nations choosing one standard or another» …or developing their own standards

• Nations need to consider how the standards will be applied and enforced» Contract services through province» Monitor using own resources» Retain consulting services» Other?

Questions?