OUR SERVICES

Environmental Compliance Management

Ontario has some of the most challenging air quality regulations in North America. We understand them.

In Ontario the core of environmental compliance management is the ECA (Environmental Compliance Approval). Welburn Consulting will prepare your ECA from start to finish. The ECA consists of several steps: understanding the process(es), emissions inventory, dispersion modelling, comparison to standards, documentation and submittal. Each step can be a moving target. For example, inputs, processes, receptors, regulatory standards, and neighbours can change year-on-year, requiring updates in the analysis. Because of these changes, it is crucial to be familiar not only with the regulations and regulatory bodies, but also with the site and context. We place a high value on truly understanding your facility through site visits and face to face interaction.

Air Quality Modelling and Measurement

Air quality models are used to predict concentrations at receptor points (e.g. fence lines, air intakes, or windows). Models are often used to feed in to an Environmental Assessment or an application for Environmental Compliance Approval.

There are a plethora of models available, covering the full range of scale and complexity. After understanding your requirements, Welburn Consulting determines the most appropriate model for your application based on our experience in:

• self-contamination models (e.g. ASHRAE, wind tunnel)
• micro-scale models (e.g. SCREEN3, AERMOD, CAL3QHCR)
• meso-scale models (e.g. CALPUFF)
• regional airshed models (e.g. ReFSoRT)

It’s not enough just to know the models, however, but to interpret the results and verify them against reality. A model is only as good as its inputs. Although most models rely on emission factors, sometimes it is necessary to measure actual emissions at the source. We are experienced in emissions measurement and ambient air quality monitoring, and interpreting data.

As we like to remind ourselves: “All models are wrong, but some are useful.”

– Statistician George Box.

Environmental Emergency Planning

Over the next few years in Canada, Environmental Emergency Planning is anticipated to become mandatory for a broader range of facilities than it has been to date. We assist our clients in preparing a plan to protect their workers, their neighbours, their facility and the environment.

Welburn Consulting takes a systematic approach that includes understanding your industrial processes, mapping out failure scenarios, estimating their likelihood and impacts, identifying abatement options, developing a response plan and testing it. Depending on the scale of the plan requirements, we also work with outside experts in developing and implementing emergency planning and response exercises.

Emissions Inventories (NPRI and Greenhouse Gas)

Most facilities must report their releases each year to the National Pollutant Release Inventory. Welburn Consulting can take this off your hands.

Starting with a thorough understanding of your site and processes, we specialize in converting that information into emissions data. Next, we ground truth the data and meticulously review it for accuracy. Finally, we enter your it on your behalf into Environment Canada’s Single Window Information Manager.

Similar reporting is required for Greenhouse Gases. If your facility’s annual emissions are over 10 kilotonnes, you are required to report them under the Ontario Guideline for GHG emissions. We are intimately familiar with the GHG guideline. Following a site visit to understand your processes and gather records, we calculate your GHG emissions using the most appropriate calculation methodology in the guideline. After quality analysis to triple-check our results, we enter the data on your behalf into Environment Canada’s Single Window Information Manager.

If your facility’s annual emissions exceed 25 kilotonnes, your reporting must be verified by an accredited GHG verifier. This can be a demanding process. Welburn Consulting will help you head off problems before they arise. We will assist you in ensuring your GHG record keeping is ready for verification, and we will make ourselves available to the verifier as required.

Toxic Substance Reduction Planning

If you are a manufacturing firm in Ontario, then Toxic Substance Reduction Planning is now part of your reality. A TSRP can be more than just a binder that sits on your shelf. Our goal is to work with you to develop a plan that, when implemented, both reduces toxics AND improves your bottom line.

Licensed since April, 2012, Colin Welburn was one of the first Toxic Substance Reduction Planners in Ontario. Having been involved in the process from its inception, we know it inside out. But it’s not just about the technical aspects. We understand that crucial to a good plan – and required under the guidelines – is employee engagement. Our experience in running effective planning workshops helps us obtain information and buy-in from those who know the facility best. Our clients can be confident that the resulting plan will be comprehensive, feasible and accurate.

Project Management and Environmental Research

Collectively we have 20 years’ experience managing projects in the environmental field. Our goal is to remain on the leading edge of issues that affect our clients. Beyond technical air quality and environmental issues we have conducted research and literature reviews related to:

• modelling versus monitoring comparisons
• roadway impacts
• climate change mitigation scenarios
• greenhouse gas emissions scenarios