(MERAF) for the Base Metals Smelting Sector - CCME

plants respectively. Amendments to the Règlement sur la qualité de
l’atmosphère are under development. Also, on May 1, 2002, Quebec
adopted an order requiring facilities in the mining and primary metals
industry to hold a Depollution Attestation. The order takes effect under
the Programme de réduction des rejets industriels (PRRI). The
Depollution Attestation is tailored to specific features of a facility and is
renewable every five years. It contains conditions that may include the
identification of release points and sources, fees for contaminants
released, release standards and monitoring requirements.
− New Brunswick’s Air Quality Regulation classifies sources of air
pollution by the amount and type of contaminants they produce. It sets
maximum levels for smoke density (i.e., opacity) and limits the release
of air pollutants so that maximum permissible ground-level
concentrations are not exceeded.
− Montréal’s By-Law 90 pertaining to air purification, requires from
metallurgical facilities to have control devices to ensure particulate
matter releases do not exceed the specified concentration. This by-law
limits the emission of particulate matter from copper and other metal
facilities. The by-law also limits the release of lead and particulate
matter from lead facilities.
• United States:
− New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) are industry-specific
performance standards, which are applied to significantly modified or
new facilities and facilities in non-attainment areas of ambient air quality
standards. Standards exist for primary and secondary lead smelters,
copper smelters and zinc smelters. These standards limit emissions of
particulate matter, visible emissions (opacity) and sulphur dioxide from
specific sources within the facility.
− The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has the
authority to set emission standards for hazardous air pollutants, i.e.,
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).
Arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and nickel are on the USEPA
Hazardous Air Pollutants List. Lead smelters and copper smelters are
included in the list of sources of these pollutants. At this time, zinc
smelters and the one existing nickel smelter are not listed as sources of
these pollutants. There are two air emission standards that have been
promulgated that apply to the Base Metals Smelting Sector:
∗ Hazardous Air Pollutants for Primary Lead Smelting;
∗ Inorganic Arsenic Emissions from Primary Copper Smelters.
The EPA also limits arsenic emissions by controlling emissions
of particulate matter.
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