Regulations

Air quality management in Alberta includes the use of regulations that are made under the authority of the Environmental Enhancement and Protection Act of Alberta.

Non-compliance with regulation requirements can result in enforcement actions by Alberta Environment and Parks. Enforcement encompasses administrative and judicial measures such as enforcement orders, court orders and prosecution.

Regulations, codes and codes of practice are available from Alberta Queen's Printer:

The following are the current regulations:

  • Activities Designation Regulation
    Sets out the activities for which an approval is required.
  • Emissions Trading Regulation
    Establishes a registry for nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide emission credits; requires certain electricity generators to provide emission intensity baselines for those substances and to report information, and explains how emission credits can be created.
  • Mercury Emissions from Coal Fired Power Plants
  • Ozone-Depleting Substances and Halocarbons Regulation
    Regulates the use and atmospheric release of ozone-depleting substances and their halocarbon alternatives (where they are used as a refrigerant in refrigeration or air conditioning). Ozone-depleting substances include: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform. Halocarbon alternatives include hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons.
  • Release Reporting Regulation
    Deals with the release of substances into the environment and sets out requirements for the reporting of such releases to Alberta Environment and Parks.
  • Substance Release Regulation
    This regulation establishes requirements related to air emissions and air quality.

Codes

The Alberta Stack Sampling Code specifies how to measure emissions of air pollutants from stationary sources in Alberta, as required for determining compliance with the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Copies are available at cost from Alberta Queen's Printer:

The Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) Code identifies acceptable methods and specifications for the installation and operation of these systems.

Codes of Practice

Codes of Practice provide provincewide operating rules for an activity and ensure consistency in operating requirements. The following Codes of Practice are available from Alberta Queen’s Printer: