As of Feb. 1, 2020, industrial facilities in Ontario have to meet stronger standards for 33 high-priority contaminants in order to better protect the air quality and health in local communities.

These changes were introduced in 2005 with Regulation 419 and have finally come into effect, marking the biggest improvement in regulating air toxics in more than 25 years.

The pulp and paper, petroleum, chemical industries are among the sectors covered by the regulation.

Changes include:

• reducing the acceptable level of lead and acetone by about 75 percent;
• creating standards for acetonitrile that causes respiratory irritation and methyl isocyanate that causes respiratory tract injury; and
• cutting the acceptable level of xylenes, which have neurological effects, by nearly two-thirds.

Ontario currently has air standards for 124 substances and guidelines for over 200 contaminants. Proposed standards for an additional eight substances are currently undergoing consultation and will be announced later in 2010.

For a full list of air standards, visit www.news.ontario.ca/ene/en/2010/02/strengthening-protection-for-ontarios-air.html.