NPRI Reporting Deadline Quickly Approaching

Owners and operators of facilities that meet the National Pollutant Release Inventory (“NPRI”) reporting requirements must submit their reports by June 1, 2022.

The NPRI is a publicly accessible inventory of pollutant releases, disposal and recycling governed by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The NPRI is an integral tool in identifying and monitoring sources of pollution and developing indicators for the quality of air, land, and water.

WHO NEEDS TO REPORT?

Facilities are required to report if any of the following conditions apply:

• the number of hours worked by employees at the facility exceeded 20,000 hours per year;

• the facility carried out a listed activity (e.g. incineration, municipal sewage treatment, stationary fuel combustion, wood preservation, fuel terminal operations, pit, or quarry operations); and/or

• the substances manufactured, processed, used, or released exceeded the threshold stipulated.

WHAT MUST BE REPORTED?

The report must include the following information:

• facility information (location, parent companies, contact information);

• operating information (environmental permits, hours of operation, number of employees, activities conducted);

• information on any substances released, disposed of, or recycled which were manufactured, processed, or used at the facility over the applicable reporting threshold; and

• pollution prevention information (any activities to reduce environmental impact during the reporting year).

TAKEAWAY

Compliance with NPRI reporting is mandatory, failure to report can result in penalties including fines up to $25,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a corporation. The maximum fines can be doubled for subsequent offences.

Questions about NPRI reporting? Contact Richard Bereti, Nicola Virk, or anyone else from our team listed on the Authors page.