Workshop Launch of the First Report of the Chilean PRTR

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Workshop -- Launch of the First Report
of the Chilean PRTR
Alain Chung, Environment Canada Santiago, Chile
November 28, 2007
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Topics to be Covered

• Brief overview of the Canadian PRTR system
• The importance of data quality
• Canadian experiences with data quality
  improvement (quality assurance and quality
  control)
• PRTR in the Americas

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Overview of the Canadian PRTR

• Canadas Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
  (PRTR) has two main components
• The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)
  is an annual, publicly-accessible database of
  information on pollutants released to the
  environment, or transferred for disposal or
  recycling, by industrial facilities in Canada.
• For selected substances, Comprehensive Air
  Emissions Inventories are compiled, which include
  government estimations of emissions from both
  industrial and area sources (small and large
  industry, transportation, agriculture, etc).

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The NPRI and Comprehensive Inventories are
important tools to support the governments clean
air and water priorities.
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)
National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)
Comprehensive Air Emission Inventories
National Air Pollution Surveillance Network (NAPS)

• Ambient air quality measurement at 290
  monitoring stations in over 175 communities
  across Canada.
• (Ambient air quality is affected by both domestic
  international emission sources)

• NPRI data for most industrial sources of key air
  pollutants, plus air emission estimatesbased on
  economic, statistical and other datafor sources
  not reported to the NPRI (e.g. residential,
  transportation, forest fires, agriculture)
• Air only

• Annual reporting to EC by over 8,000 industrial
  commercial facilities on releases, disposal and
  recycling of 300 toxic, smog forming and other
  pollutants.
• Air, water and land

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Importance of Data Quality

• A PRTR must contain accurate and credible data
  for it to be useful to inform citizens and
  support decision making
• Data quality should be a consideration during all
  PRTR activities (consultation, annual notice of
  reporting requirements, guidance materials and
  tools, reporting software, quality control
  checks, database management procedures)
• One option is the implementation of a Quality
  Management System (which NPRI is in the process
  of doing)

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6 Principles for Data Quality

• The following are 6 Principles that guide
  Canadas data quality efforts
• Completeness
• Consistency
• Comparability
• Accuracy
• Transparency
• On-site Inspection
• (See the background for more details on these)

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Data Quality Goals

• Ensure NPRI data quality meets the needs of key
  users and assist decision making by
• Implementing quality assurance program to improve
  overall data quality and ensure continuous
  improvement
• Increasing the confidence level of public and
  government in the data submitted by industry
• Ensuring that the information collected meets the
  needs of key users
• Providing information to support development of
  regulations
• Data Quality Improvement Efforts take place both
• Before the data is submitted (Quality Assurance)
• During submission of the data (Quality Assurance)
• After the data is submitted (Quality Control)

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Improving Data Quality Quality Assurance (1)

• There is a role for governments to provide
  guidance and tools to reporting facilities, to
  facilitate their reporting and produce better
  data.
• NPRI provides assistance to reporting facilities
  and potential reporters through
• guidance documents both general and
  sector-specific
• annual workshops for reporting facilities
• tools to help estimate releases
• brochures to facilities that may meet new
  requirements and
• Toll-free phone number to answer questions.
• Providing an electronic reporting system also
  helps to reduce errors
• Built-in data-quality checks and
• Reduces data entry errors.

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Improving Data Quality Quality Assurance (2)

• Detailed sector-specific or substance-specific
  assessments can identify areas for which work to
  improve data quality is needed
• examine consistency of reporting for similar
  facilities/processes
• work with government experts and industry
  associations to leverage their expertise
• This work will help to identify areas which
  require improvement, to focus quality assurance
  activities

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Improving Data Quality Quality Assurance (3)

• For key sectors, or those with identified quality
  concerns, Canadas approach is to work with
  industry associations and government experts to
  enhance sector-specific Guidance
• Provide effective and focussed guidance (e.g.,
  tools methodologies and associated guidance
  documents) to ensure reported data are
  transparent, consistent, complete and accurate
• Implement facility inspections dealing with data
  quality (the inspection activities, based on
  priorities, would allow us to perform reality
  check (e.g., how reliable is the submitted data
  and the timeliness)
• Perform measurements for key sources to
  supplement outdated information and improve
  emission factors

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Improving Data Quality Quality Assurance (4)

• The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
  Development (OECD) Task Force on PRTRs has
  developed a number of useful materials/tools
• Resource Centre for Release Estimation
  Techniques provides documents from many OECD
  countries and International Organizations, which
  can be useful to develop and provide.
• Document entitled Considerations for Ensuring
  Quality PRTR Data provides information and best
  practices on all aspects of data quality will
  be available soon
• These are available at the OECD PRTR Website
  http//webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/ENV/tf-prtr.nsf
  

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Improving Data Quality Quality Control

• NPRI relies on facilities to submit accurate data
• Facilities are expected to make a reasonable
  effort to obtain a best estimate.
• Acceptable methods to estimate releases include
  monitoring, mass balance calculations, emission
  factors and engineering estimates.
• Once data received, quality control checks are
  done
• automated process to identify questionable data
  (large increase or decrease from previous year,
  potential incorrect units, etc)
• Facilities are asked confirm/correct any data
  identified as questionable
• Also important to maintain quality of supporting
  facility information
• facility names, sector codes, parent company,
  location

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PRTR in the Americas

• Canada supports the adoption of PRTRs throughout
  the Americas
• Conference of the Americas on PRTRs (Mexico City,
  April 2004) to raise awareness of PRTRs
• Although monetary resources are limited, Canada
  will continue to provide technical and other
  support to the best of its abilities
• Countries such as Chile, who have moved forward
  with PRTR implementation, are a great example to
  other countries in the Americas.
• We commend you for your efforts!!

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• Background

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6 Principles to Guide Data Quality

• Completeness
• Agreed methods or approaches for estimation or
  measurement and reporting of all NPRI emissions
  from the major sources at the reporting
  facilities
• Consistency
• Protocols (methods) for estimating or measuring
  emissions should be consistent within a sector
  and over time
• 3. Comparability
• Across sectors, emissions from similar equipment
  or processes should be determined using
  comparable methods

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6 Principles to Guide Data Quality (2)

• 4. Accuracy
• Reported emissions are systematically neither
  over nor under true emissionsuncertainties are
  reduced as far as practicable
• 5. Transparency
• Emissions inventories are compiled using
  documented, publicly-available methods and
  procedures. Internal documents are maintained by
  the reporter to provide a reliable repository and
  a paper trail to enable the reproduction of
  emissions under audit or as necessary, by
  qualified persons.
• Facility Inspection
• Based on sector-specific analysis, carry out
  facility inspection to ensure the quality of the
  reported information to the NPRI meet above
  stated data quality attributes

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Importance of Canadas PRTR

• Information on pollution, such as that provided
  through a PRTR, is valuable to
• Identify priorities for action
• Allow tracking of progress in reducing releases
  and transfers
• Support targeted regulatory initiatives
• Improve public understanding of pollutant sources
  and engage civil society in decision-making
• Encourage voluntary action to reduce releases and
  transfers

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Development of the NPRI

• Reporting requirements were established in 1992
  by a multi-stakeholder advisory committee, with
  representatives from industry, environmental
  organizations and governments.
• Original NPRI list of substances was derived
  through stakeholder consultation. In 1993, the
  first reporting year, 178 substances were listed.
• Development of initial NPRI took into account
  priorities and what was achievable, and has
  expanded to meet needs - currently over 300
  substances.
• Reporting to NPRI, in accordance with the annual
  notification, is mandatory under the Canadian
  Environmental Protection Act.

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Scope of Reporting for NPRI

• NPRI includes point-source information on toxic
  substances, smog pollutants and other substances
  of concern from industrial facilities
  (manufacturing, metal smelters, power plants,
  sewage treatment, etc.).
• Facilities that employ 10 or more employees are
  subject to reporting, unless specifically exempt.
• Such facilities must report for each substance
  manufactured, processed or used above the
  appropriate threshold (usually 10 tonnes, but
  lower for priority substances).
• For each substance above threshold, facilities
  report the amount released (air, water, land) and
  transferred (disposal and recycling) and other
  information.

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Comprehensive Inventories

• For various substances, Comprehensive Air
  Emissions Inventories are compiled by Canadian
  governments
• include estimations of emissions from all sources
  (small and large industry, transportation,
  agriculture, home heating, forest fires, etc).
• allow Canada to comply with reporting obligations
  of various domestic and international agreements
  and programs
• Inventories compiled for
• air pollutants that contribute to smog and acid
  rain
• heavy metals (mercury and cadmium)
• selected persistent organic pollutants
  (dioxins/furans, hexachlorobenzene)

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PRTR in North America

• The North American Commission for Environmental
  Co-operation (CEC) was established in 1994
• under the North American Free Trade Agreement
  (NAFTA) between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico
• to address potential environmental concerns under
  NAFTA and promote environmental co-operation in
  the region.
• The CECs involvement with PRTRs takes two forms
• Taking Stock analysis and reports and
• Action Plan to enhance the comparability of North
  American PRTRs.