Like many industrialized areas, Ontario is faced with the challenge of effectively managing the presence of toxic contaminants. Industrial direct discharges represent a significant contributor to water quality impairment and a prominent source of toxics. With the signing of the 1987, 1994 and 2002 Canada/Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, Ontario committed to the management of persistent toxic substances. The Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA) program was the provincial response for addressing levels of persistent toxic substances in industrial direct discharges entering Ontario's waterways.
The MISA program, by focusing on nine industrial sectors, covered the major toxic polluters. The nine sectors are petroleum, pulp and paper, metal mining, industrial minerals, metal casting, organic chemical manufacturing, inorganic chemical, iron and steel, and electric power generation. The industrial sectoral regulations were promulgated between 1993 and 1995.
Main Features of the MISA Industrial Regulations:
The regulations include monitoring and reporting requirements which include the following features:
- For every chemical parameter in the MISA regulations there are:
- two limits: daily (i.e., not to exceed value on any day) and monthly average
- A required monitoring frequency to demonstrate compliance with the limits
- Every effluent must not be toxic to fish and water fleas
- Each plant must prepare an annual report to be available to the public
- Each plant must submit summary quarterly reports to the ministry
- Incidents of non-compliance must be reported directly to the ministry followed by a letter.
E-Laws:
- Ontario Regulation 215/95 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Electric Power Generating Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 561/94 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Industrial Minerals Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 64/95 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 214/95 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Iron and Steel Manufacturing Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 562/94 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Metal Casting Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 560/94 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Metal Mining Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 63/95 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Organic Chemical Manufacturing Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 537/93 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Petroleum Sector)
- Ontario Regulation 760/93 (Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits – Pulp and Paper Sector)
