Workshop -- Launch of the First Report
of the Chilean PRTR
Alain Chung, Environment Canada
Santiago, Chile – November 28, 2007
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
Canada’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)
has two main components:
1. 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.
2. 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 government’s clean air and water priorities….
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)
National Pollutant Release
Comprehensive Air Emission
Inventory (NPRI)
Inventories
National Air Pollution
Surveillance Network
(NAPS)
+
•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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•NPRI data for most industrial sources of
key air pollutants, plus air emission
estimates—based on economic, statistical
and other data—for sources not reported
to the NPRI (e.g. residential,
transportation, forest fires, agriculture)
•Air onlyChile PRTR Workshop
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•Ambient air quality
measurement at ~290 monitoring
stations in over 175 communities
across Canada.
(Ambient air quality is affected
by both domestic & international
Environment
Environnement
emission
sources)
Canada
Canada
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 Canada’s
data quality efforts:
1. Completeness
2. Consistency
3. Comparability
4. Accuracy
5. Transparency
6. 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,
Canada’s approach is to work with industry associations
and government experts to enhance sector-specific
Guidance
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•
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:
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•
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
•
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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
1. Completeness
Agreed methods or approaches for estimation or
measurement and reporting of all NPRI emissions from
the major sources at the reporting facilities
2. 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
emissions…uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable
5. Transparency
Emissions inventories are compiled using documented, publiclyavailable 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.
6. 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 Canada’s 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:
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•
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 Cooperation (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 CEC’s involvement with PRTRs takes two forms:
• “Taking Stock” analysis and reports; and
• Action Plan to enhance the comparability of North
American PRTRs.
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