Glossary of Environmental Terms
From Eco Issues
Please also see the List of Acronyms and Abbreviations.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
| abatement | Measures and activities undertaken by Ministry of the Environment (MOE) staff to bring about compliance or lessen the degree of violation, usually focused directly on the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution. Also refers to a branch of MOE. |
| abatement tools | The tools available to an abatement inspector. In Ontario, these include: control documents, voluntary abatement measures and warnings. |
| acid generating rock | Acid generating rock refers to rock that upon exposure to air and water releases hydrogen ions into the water which lowers the pH of the water. |
| acid rain | The deposition of airborne acids by rain or snow great distances from where these substances are discharged into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. Acid rain adversely affects aquatic and terrestrial environments. |
| acquisition | Used in the context of land, acquisition means the purchase, or taking of ownership of a property. In the context of the ECO reports, acquisition generally refers to acquiring land for natural heritage purposes (i.e., protecting habitat for plants and animals or protecting landscapes for scientific purposes). Opposite of disposition. |
| Act | A law passed by the Legislature. The Acts referred to under the EBR are those passed by the provincial legislature. |
| adaptation | In biological terms, an alteration or adjustment in structure or habits, often hereditary, by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment. In the climate change context, adaptation consists of initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems against actual or expected climate change effects. |
| Administrative monetary penalty (AMP) | A financial penalty imposed by a Director, MOE, to encourage a violator to take actions to correct a violation swiftly or to prevent its recurrence. Payment of an AMP is not an admission of guilt. AMPs allow MOE to respond quickly to an environmental violation without having to resort to the court process. |
| adulticide | In the context of the West Nile virus, a pesticide applied to the air by spraying to destroy adult mosquitoes. |
| adverse effect | This term is defined in Ontario’s Environmental Protection Act as:
“one or more of, (a) impairment of the quality of the natural environment for any use that can be made of it, (b) injury or damage to property or to plant or animal life, (c) harm or material discomfort to any person, (d) an adverse effect on the health of any person, (e) impairment of the safety of any person, (f) rendering any property or plant or animal life unfit for human use, (g) loss of enjoyment of normal use of property, and (h) interference with the normal conduct of business.” |
| Advisory Committee on Watershed-based Source Protection Planning | An advisory committee established by the Ontario government in October 2002 to begin work toward developing a legal and policy framework for watershed protection. The committee’s White Paper on Watershed-based Source Water Protection was released by the provincial government on February 12, 2004. Following on the White Paper, the provincial government established an Implementation Committee and a Technical Experts Committee, both of which reported back to the government in November of 2004. |
| Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards | An advisory council appointed to advise the Minister of the Environment on drinking water issues such as testing and water quality standards. The appointment of this committee is required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
| aggregate | Naturally occurring mineral and rock materials such as gravel, sand, clay, earth, shale, and stone. See Pits and Quarries for more information. |
| air dispersion models | Mathematical models that are used to predict the concentrations of air pollutants near emission sources such as smokestacks. |
| airshed | A geographical area that shares the same air mass due to topography, meteorology and/or climate. As such, pollutants emitted into this area may interact or increase in concentration. It typically forms an analytical or management unit |
| algal blooms | Rapid growth of algae in a water body. When these algae die and decompose, oxygen levels in the water drop, which can stress or kill fish. |
| alkalinity | A measure of the capacity of a solution to resist changes to pH when an acid or base is added. Since a solution that contains carbonates is better able to resist a change in pH, alkalinity is expressed as the concentration of calcium carbonate in the solution. In Ontario, lakes and rivers that flow over limestone bedrock are able to resist the effects of acid rain due to the calcium carbonate that leaches from the bedrock. |
| alternative service delivery | The delegation or sharing of responsibilities to non-governmental organizations for delivering services, developing policies, or regulating industries, all of which were previously governmental responsibilities. Can include many different kinds of partnership or power-sharing arrangements between governments, corporations, voluntary or industry organizations, and individuals. Examples include cost recovery, joint ventures, privatization, and industry self-regulation. |
| ambient air | Open air that is not enclosed within a building, chimney or other structure. See also ambient air quality criteria. |
| ambient air quality criteria (AAQC) | For many pollutants, Ontario has established ambient air quality criteria (AAQCs). They are set at the level where no adverse effect is observed on people or the environment. Although AAQCs are not themselves enforceable (because many different sources of pollutants contribute to an exceedance of the criteria) they are used to determine the point of impingement standards included in certificates of approval. See also point of impingement standards. |
| Anaerobic digestor (AD) | a sealed, heated container that breaks down, i.e., stabilizes, organic material using biological processes in the absence of oxygen |
| anthropogenic | Of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings on nature. |
| appeal body | A tribunal to which an appeal or application for leave to appeal under the EBR is referred. For example, appeals brought under many statutes administered by the Ministry of the Environment are heard by the Environmental Review Tribunal. |
| application for investigation | An EBR process that allows two Ontario residents to apply together to ask a ministry to investigate if they think someone is violating an environmentally significant Act, regulation or instrument. |
| application for review | An EBR process that allows two Ontario residents to apply together to ask a minister: to review existing Acts, regulations, instruments or policies if they think the environment is not being protected; or to establish new Acts, regulations or policies to protect the environment. |
| aquaculture | Aquaculture refers to the farming of aquatic plants, fish and shellfish in land-based pens or in water bodies. |
| aquifer | An underground water-bearing geological formation that is capable of transmitting water in sufficient quantities to serve as a source of groundwater supply. |
| areas of natural and scientific interest (ANSI) | Areas in Ontario defined by the Ministry of Natural Resources as “areas of land and water that represent significant geological (earth science) and biological (life science) features.” |
| arterial road | A major or main route. |
| benthic | Refers to the bottom layer including the sediment of a water body. |
| bioaccumulation | Bioaccumulation is an increase in concentration of a toxic substance in organs and tissues in excess of what is normally expected. The toxic substance is bioconcentrated if its concentration in organs and tissues exceeds those of the surrounding air or water. These accumulations can harm the animal or be passed on to a predator. |
| biochar | The product of burning organic material in the absence of oxygen. For example, charcoal is a specific type of biochar, made from wood. Biochar can be used for fuel or as a soil amendment. In the latter case, it becomes a way to sequester carbon in soil, as it is extremely stable and resistant to further degradation by microbes. |
| biodiversity | The variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. |
| biofibre | Refers to forest resources that are not normally utilized for conventional forest products. These include tree tops, culled trees or portions of trees, individual and stands of unmerchantable and unmarketable trees, and trees that may be salvaged as a result of a natural disturbance. |
| biofuel | A fuel manufactured from plant- or animal-based feedstock. Examples include ethanol, biodiesel, and methane gas. |
| bio-remediation | The process of using microorganisms to degrade and detoxify chemically contaminated soil or water. |
| biosolids | The term used by the Ministry of the Environment to refer to sewage sludge. |
| blitz | A period of rapid or intense activity, such as an inspection blitz, or safety blitz. |
| Blue Box Program Plan (BBPP) | A plan created under the Waste Diversion Act to divert residential Blue Box waste from landfill and incineration. |
| boreal forest | In Ontario, stretching from Quebec to Manitoba north of the French River and Lake Superior and covering most of northwestern Ontario, it consists of primarily even-aged forests of jack pine, black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, trembling aspen and white birch. |
| boreal zone | A climatic zone lying next to and south of the Arctic. |
| Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) | Commonly called “mad cow” disease. One of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) class of diseases transmitted and induced by proteinaceous infectious agents called prions. |
| Broader Public Sector (BPS) | Institutions and organizations funded and supervised through public means, but not run by the government, e.g. universities, colleges, school boards, hospitals, and health centres |
| brownfield site | Lands on which industrial or commercial activity took place in the past. They may be vacant, underused or abandoned. The soil and water may or may not be impacted by contaminants as a result of past practices and uses. |
| bump-up, bump-up request | Where an undertaking is subject to a class environmental assessment, a person may request that the Minister of the Environment “bump-up” the project to a full environmental assessment. This pre-existing policy of the ministry was placed in legislation through a bill passed during 1997 that amended the Environmental Assessment Act. See also class environmental assessment and environmental assessment. |
| cambium | A layer of living cells beneath the bark of a tree that gives rise to the phloem and xylem which are responsible for the movement of water and nutrients in a plant. |
| Canada Ontario Agreement (COA) | COA was first signed by the Canadian and Ontario governments in 1971 and outlines how the two levels of government will cooperate and coordinate their efforts to restore, protect and conserve the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. COA also contributes to meeting Canada’s obligations under the Canada-US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. |
| cap | An overall limit. In climate change policy, a cap is a legal limit placed on the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that may be emitted. Caps are typically established on an industry-wide basis. The total amount of emissions allowed under a cap are then divided into allowances (or permits), with each allowance being equal to one tonne of CO2e. Each capped emitter is allocated a specified number of allowances by the government, which equals the amount of GHGs that the emitter is allowed to release into the atmosphere in a given year. Over time, the cap is reduced with a goal of reaching an overall future target. |
| cap-and-trade or emissions trading systems | A market-based approach for achieving environmental objectives. In the climate change context, it allows those entities reducing GHG emissions below their emission cap to use or trade the excess reductions to offset emissions at another source. In general, trading can occur at the intra-company, domestic, and international levels. The price of the tradable emissions permits is established by the market. |
| carbon dioxide (CO2) | A naturally occurring gas. It is also produced by burning fossil fuels from fossil carbon deposits, such as oil, gas and coal, by burning biomass and by changing land use and other industrial processes. It is the principal anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG). It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a global warming potential of 1. |
| carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) | A unit that expresses the global warming potential of any greenhouse gas in terms of carbon dioxide, calculated using the mass of a given greenhouse gas multiplied by its global warming potential. |
| carbon monoxide | A tasteless, odourless and colourless gas that is naturally occurring at low levels, but increases greatly in urban areas due to motor vehicle emissions. At high enough levels, it is toxic when inhaled because it blocks oxygen from entering the bloodstream. |
| carbon-neutral | An adjective describing a product or process that does not release any greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that are not taken back up again by plants as part of the normal carbon cycle. For instance, when plants are grown and harvested to create fuel, the CO2 released when they are burned is taken up again by the new crop, so that the net increase in atmospheric carbon is zero. |
| carbon sinks | Places (such as forests, soils, and oceans) where sequestered carbon can be stored. |
| carcinogen | A cancer-producing substance.
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| certificate of approval (C of A) | A permit issued by a ministry under a specific provision in an Act or regulation that allows the permit holder legally to discharge a limited volume of polluting substances or carry out an activity that may have an adverse effect on the environment, according to terms and conditions set out in the permit. |
| Chief Inspector (Drinking Water) | A provincial officer, appointed by the Ontario government and based in the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), who oversees drinking water inspection policies and practices and training of MOE inspectors. The creation of this position is required by the Safe Drinking Water Act and was recommended by the Walkerton Inquiry. |
| Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) | One of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) class of diseases transmitted and induced by proteinaceous infectious agents called prions. This form of TSE is found in deer, elk and bison. |
| class environmental assessment | A class environmental assessment describes an environmental assessment procedure that applies to undertakings that are part of a group of similar undertakings (for example, highway construction projects or forest management planning processes). The procedures are less extensive than for individual (or full) environmental assessments, although a request to “bump-up” to an individual assessment may be made. See also bump-up, bump-up request. |
| clearcut | The removal of most or all merchantable trees in a forest stand or group of stands in one operation. The term is also used as a noun to describe the area that has been harvested using this method. |
| coagulation | Moving from a liquid to a solid or semi-solid state; gelling or solidifying into a mass; a process used to treat water. |
| cobalt | A hard, brittle metallic element found associated with nickel, silver, lead, copper, and iron ores and resembling nickel and iron in appearance. It is used chiefly for magnetic alloys, high-temperature alloys, and in the form of its salts for blue glass and ceramic pigments. |
| co-generation | The use of steam or heat, created in the process of generating electricity, for some other useful purpose, e.g., heating a building (in effect, creating two useful forms of energy with one fuel source). |
| coliform | A group of bacteria that are used as indicator organisms to indicate the possible presence of other microbiological pathogens in water including E. coli. |
| communal servicing systems | Water and sewage disposal systems that serve more than five units or lots and that are connected to residential buildings when full municipal water and sewage systems are not available. Communal sewage services usually have fewer environmental impacts than individual septic systems. Under the Provincial Policy Statement, where site conditions are suitable over the long term, communal services are the preferred means of servicing multiple lots/units in areas where full municipal sewage and water services are not or cannot be provided. |
| compliance | A state achieved by a company or person by adhering to certain legislative and regulatory requirements. These requirements can cover a wide range of activities, from the prevention of pollution by operating within standards set by legislative and regulatory requirements, to the obtaining of required licences, or to the completion of paperwork and the filing of reports. |
| Comprehensive Certificate of Approval (Comprehensive C of A) (Air) | A single Certificate of Approval for Air Emissions that replaces existing Certificates of Approval (for air emissions) and includes the addition of new or historically unapproved sources of emissions from the facility. Comprehensive Certificates of Approval have conditions that allow limited operational flexibility. |
| Conservation Authority | A public agency established under the Conservation Authorities Act to further the conservation, restoration, development, and management of natural resources such as rivers, streams and public lands, within an area over which the authority is granted jurisdiction. |
| control document | An approval, permit, order or report issued by a Ministry of the Environment Director under authorizing legislation. |
| Convention on Biological Diversity | A United Nations treaty signed by Canada in June 1992 in which Canada agreed to work to prevent the introduction of invasive alien species and to control and eradicate those species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or other species. |
| cormorant | A dark-coloured web-footed fish-eating bird. |
| criteria air contaminants | As defined by the Ministry of the Environment in O. Reg. 127/01, are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) including PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers) and PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers.) |
| Crown land | Land in Ontario that is public land under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, including land under water. |
| dBA | A type of measurement used for sound levels. Specifically, the A-weighted sound pressure level. |
| decision | The use of discretion by a prescribed Ontario government ministry in relation to an environmentally significant proposal. |
| Declaration Order | The Environmental Assessment Act enables the Minister of the Environment to declare, through an Order, that an environmental assessment is not required for a certain undertaking or activity. Declaration Orders are regulations for the purposes of the EBR and are usually posted on the Registry for public comment before they are approved. Declaration Orders also usually set out conditions which a proponent must meet. |
| demand side management | In reference to electricity supply/demand, demand side management uses measures to influence the amount and timing of consumer electricity demand, for example, promoting electricity conservation by encouraging the use of low wattage lighting. |
| Design for Development | A development policy, also known as the Toronto-Centred Region Plan, unveiled in 1970 by the Ontario government. This policy sought to protect certain green spaces and parkway belts surrounding the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) from future development, and attempted to promote development nodes in communities at the edges of the GTA. |
| designated substance | A substance that the Ontario Ministry of Labour has identified as particularly hazardous and its use in the workplace is either strictly controlled or banned under Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). As of May 2007, eleven substances have been designated and regulated under separate OHSA regulations, including asbestos, lead, mercury and arsenic. In general, each regulation sets out the amount of the substance that workers can be exposed to in a given time period, and the ways to both control and measure the substance in the workplace. |
| dewatering | Removing water from a location, usually so that construction work may be accomplished. |
| dioxins and furans | A group of chemicals with a similar chemical structure. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin, is considered to be one of the most toxic synthetic compounds in existence and has been identified as a carcinogen in animal tests. Dioxins and furans are produced as a by-product of several industrial processes and are released from any process where chlorine and carbon are present at high temperatures. |
| Director | Under the Environmental Protection Act, employees of the Ministry of the Environment may be designated as Directors authorized to exercise a range of powers such as issuing an Order. |
| disinfection | A chemical or photochemical process used to destroy or impair an organism’s cell structure, metabolism or ability to grow, such as chlorination, chlorine dioxide, chloramination, ultraviolet irradiation, ozonation and distillation. |
| disposition | The act of transferring, disposing of, divesting of, or selling of certain rights such as lands and in this context by the Province of Ontario. Opposite of acquisition. Legally, the act of disposal of land and other resources and includes a Crown grant, order-in-council, transfer, assurance, lease, licences, permit, contract, or agreement. |
| dissolved oxygen (DO) | Refers to oxygen that is dissolved in water and therefore available to plants, fish, insects and other organisms. |
| downed woody debris | Typically, sound or rotting logs, stumps or large branches that have fallen or been cut and left in the woods. |
| drawdown | In water reservoir management, the lowering of the reservoir water level to release water for hydro-electric power production, or in some cases to allow works to be carried out within the reservoir area. Also, the lowering of the groundwater level or table that results from dewatering (pumping water from) a quarry. See quarry dewatering. |
| Drinking Water Systems Regulation | A regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act which came into effect in June 2003. The purpose of the regulation is to provide safe drinking water to all residents of Ontario by stipulating minimum standard requirements for eight different categories of drinking water systems. The regulation consolidates the requirements from O. Reg. 459/00, Drinking Water Protection Regulation for Larger Waterworks, and O. Reg. 505/01, Drinking Water Protection Regulation for Smaller Waterworks serving Designated Facilities, the previous drinking water regulations both under the Ontario Water Resources Act. |
| Drive Clean | A Ministry of the Environment program that requires the emissions testing and certification of cars, light-duty and heavy-duty trucks and buses. |
| dust suppressant | A substance used to reduce airborne dust on gravel or dirt roads. Some dust suppressants are waste by-products of industrial processes and must be applied in accordance with a certificate of approval. Products produced specifically as dust suppressants are placed on a list issued by the Ministry of the Environment if the environmental information submitted by manufacturers meets with the ministry’s approval. The application of dust suppressants on roads is also regulated by the Ministry of Transportation. |
| E. coli bacteria | A strain of bacteria found in the gut and waste products of animals. Some strains of this bacterium can be harmful to humans or animals if consumed. Food or water can become contaminated with E. coli where unsanitary conditions exist.
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| ecological integrity | A condition that is determined to be characteristic of its natural region and likely to persist, including abiotic components and the composition and abundance of native species and biological communities, rates of change and supporting processes. |
| ecological system or ecosystem | A dynamic complex of plant, animal and microbial communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. |
| ecoregion or ecological site region | An ecological land classification unit (ranging in resolution from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of square kilometres) characterized by distinct patterns of responses to climate as expressed by soils, hydrology, vegetation (species ranges and productivity), and fauna. |
| ecosystem fragmentation | The process whereby a large continuous area of habitat is both reduced in area and divided into two or more fragments. |
| effluent | A discharge of liquid waste into the environment. |
| El Niño effect | A weather phenomenon associated with changes in Pacific Ocean currents, often linked to large-scale weather anomalies around the world. The episodes tend to last about 12 months and appear to be becoming more frequent. |
| emission reduction credit (ERC) | Under Ontario’s emission reduction trading system, ERCs are produced through investments or operational measures that reduce emissions below any regulatory requirements. |
| employer reprisal protection | The protection provided by the EBR for employees who may be dismissed, penalized, disciplined, coerced, intimidated or harassed by their employers for reporting environmental violations or participating in public processes under the EBR. Also referred to as “whistle blower” protection. |
| endangered species | A species facing imminent extirpation or extinction. |
| endocrine disruptors | Substances that can interfere with the hormonal systems that guide development and growth of all vertebrate animals, including humans. |
| enforcement | Enforcement usually refers to a series of activities related to an investigation by a regulator. In Ontario, enforcement often commences with an investigation by staff of the Investigation and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of the Environment with a view to prosecution or other action to compel compliance or punish non-compliance. |
| environment | The air, land, water, plant life, animal life and ecological systems of Ontario. |
| environmental assessment | An analysis, report, or body of evidence, relating to a specific project or development that includes a description of the expected environmental impacts of the project, actions that could prevent or mitigate these environmental impacts, and alternative methods of carrying out the project. NOTE: The term “environmental assessment” has a more specific meaning in legislation such as the Environmental Assessment Act. |
| Environmental Assessment Act | A statute of Ontario, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.18. Many other jurisdictions have a similar statute. |
| Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) | A statute of Ontario, R.S.O. 1993, c. 28 that came into effect in Ontario in February 1994 and which recognizes that the Ontario government has the primary responsibility for protecting, conserving and restoring the natural environment, but also recognizes that the people of Ontario have the right to participate in government decision-making and to hold the government accountable for those decisions. The EBR provides a number of ways for the citizens of Ontario to participate in environmental decision-making. |
| environmental management system (EMS) | Part of the overall management system of an organization that sets out practices and procedures to develop and implement the environmental policies, objectives, and targets of the organization. |
| Environmental Registry | An Internet site established by the EBR to provide information about the environment to the public in English and French. This information includes: the text of the EBR; general EBR information; the ministries’ Statements of Environmental Values; summaries of proposed Acts, regulations, policies and instruments; notices of appeals of instruments and appeal decisions; notices of court actions and final results; and application forms for reviews and investigations. |
| Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) | The ERT is an independent appeal body that hears applications and appeals under a number of environmental statutes including the EBR, the Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act. The Tribunal was legally established in late 1999 when two former tribunals, the Environmental Assessment Board and the Environmental Appeal Board, were merged. |
| environmentally significant | The types of government decisions that are subject to the public participation requirements of the EBR. Factors to be considered in determining environmental significance include the measures required to prevent environmental harm, the geographic extent of environmental harm, and the public and private interests involved. Environmental significance is determined by looking at the potential effects of a proposal on the sustainable use of resources, the protection and conservation of biodiversity, pollution prevention and healthy communities. |
| environmentally significant areas (ESAs) | Natural areas that have a significant natural resource value and/or important ecological function and are also susceptible to disturbance by human activities. Under the Class Environmental Assessment for Management Board Secretariat/Ontario Realty Corporation Activities, ESAs include: class 1, 2 and 3 wetlands, Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, ESAs identified by municipalities and conservation authorities, certain land designations under the Niagara Escarpment Plan, habitats of threatened, rare and endangered species, and groundwater recharge sites. |
| esker | A ridge-shaped hill, often associated with rich aggregate deposits. |
| e-waste | E-waste refers to waste electrical and electronic products such as televisions, cell phones, computers and microwave ovens. |
| exceedance | When the measured level of a contaminant is greater than the level set by a standard or limit, an exceedance is said to have occurred. Contamination at a level that exceeds the limit for that contaminant. |
| exception notice | The EBR relieves provincial ministries from their obligation to post environmentally significant proposals on the Registry for public comment in emergency situations and in situations where a proposal will be or has already been considered in another public participation process that is substantially equivalent to the requirements of the EBR. In these two instances ministries can post an “exception” notice to inform the public of a decision and explain why it was not posted for public comment. |
| extended liability | The increase in the period of time an owner or producer of waste has an obligation to answer for future potential environmental harm. Used in the case of hazardous waste to indicate that the producer of hazardous waste will remain liable for the waste even if they no longer have care or control of the waste. |
| extinct species | A species that no longer exists. |
| extirpated species | A species that no longer exists in the wild in Ontario, but occurs elsewhere. |
| featured species | A wildlife species for which habitat management is conducted explicitly. |
| filtration | A process to physically remove suspended particles, including microbiological contaminants, from water. |
| financial assurance | The Ministry of the Environment may require as a condition of issuing an approval that corporations or operators of a facility provide financial assurance, such as cash or a letter of credit, to the ministry as security in the case of future contamination. The purpose of financial assurance is to indemnify the ministry against losses so that funds are available, if needed, for rehabilitating or cleaning up sites in the future should the operator be unable or unwilling to do so. |
| Fish Habitat Compliance Protocol | The protocol developed to clarify agency enforcement obligations related to the Fisheries Act in Ontario that sets out criteria that Ontario-based agencies and officials use to determine which environmental law will be used when there are alleged discharges into waters frequented by fish. |
| flame retardants | Flame retardants are chemicals that are used in products such as computers, clothing, and vehicles to reduce the risk of fire. Flame retardants delay ignition, reduce the rate of combustion or reduce the propagation of a fire. Brominated flame retardants are a type of flame retardant. |
| flocculation | A process of encouraging small particles in water to assemble into larger particles for the purpose of their efficient removal from a substance, e.g., suspended solids in water. |
| Food Land Guidelines | These guidelines, released by the Ontario government in 1978, required municipalities to identify lands with agricultural potential, to rate them in order of priority and to evaluate the impacts that would be caused by alternative uses of the lands. The overall goal of the policy was to encourage municipalities and other decision-makers to protect Class 1 and 2 agricultural lands. A related goal was to provide certain municipalities such as the Regional Municipality of Niagara with better legal tools to protect their tender fruit lands. |
| forest disturbance | A natural (e.g., fire) or anthropogenic (e.g., timber harvest) event in the forest that alters the natural succession of a forest stand or stands. |
| Forest Management Guide for Natural Disturbance Pattern Emulation (NDPE) | NDPE (or emulating natural forest disturbance - ENFD) is a forest management policy based on the premise that forestry activities should emulate natural disturbances to maintain ecosystem processes and biodiversity. |
| Forest Management Plans | A document prepared for each forest management unit in Ontario in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act and Crown Forest Sustainability Act, setting out long-term objectives and operations planned over a specified term. |
| forest regeneration | The renewal of a tree crop by natural (self-sown seed or by vegetative means) or artificial means (seeding and planting). |
| freedom of information (FOI) request | A formal request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for information from a government ministry or agency. |
| full-tree harvesting | A method in which felled trees are moved in small bunches to the roadside where trunks and tops are removed. |
| furans | See dioxins and furans. |
| gene flow | the transfer of genes from one population to another |
| genetic diversity | Variability in the genetic composition of individuals within or among species and their populations. |
| geographic information system (GIS) | A computerized information system that stores data based on geographic reference points. GIS allows data to be easily sorted, retrieved, mapped, analysed and modelled. |
| grasshopper effect | The grasshopper effect refers to substances that travel great distances around the globe through the atmosphere, touching down on oceans and freshwater bodies, then volatizing or evaporating into the atmosphere once again, and traveling once more to touch down in another spot until they ultimately gather in the colder climates. |
| Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Forest | South of the boreal forest in northwestern Ontario, it is a boreal transition forest. Along the shores of Lake Superior south of Wawa from Sault Ste. Marie to the edge of the Canadian Shield, it is very diverse but dominated by maple and yellow birch, with white and red pine and many other tree species. |
| Great Lakes Remedial Action Plans | See Remedial Action Plans. |
| ground-level ozone | See ozone. |
| groundwater | Water that exists beneath the earth’s surface, flows through geological formations such as sand layers, porous rock layers or fractured rock layers, and feeds wells. |
| harm to a public resource action | The right under the EBR to sue an individual or company that is violating, or is about to violate, an environmental Act, regulation or instrument and is harming, or will harm, a public resource. |
| hazardous waste | Waste that is harmful to health or to the environment because of its physical characteristics, quantity, or concentration; can be toxic, corrosive, ignitable, reactive, or infectious. As defined in Ontario Regulation 347 under the Environmental Protection Act, means a waste that is a hazardous industrial waste, acute hazardous waste chemical, hazardous waste chemical, severely toxic waste, ignitable waste, corrosive waste, reactive waste, radioactive waste, pathological waste, leachate toxic waste or PCB waste. Each of these terms is also defined in O. Reg. 347. |
| heavy metals | Metallic elements with high atomic weights (e.g., mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and lead) that can be toxic to living things at low concentrations and tend to accumulate in the food chain. |
| home range | The area used by an animal to fulfill its food, cover, water, and reproductive requirements |
| household hazardous waste | Household hazardous waste is hazardous waste from homes, hotels, campgrounds, etc., and can include old batteries, cans of paints, solvents, pesticides, old lubricating oil, polish, bleach, etc. Also called household special waste. |
| hydrocarbon | An organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas and coal. |
| hydrogeological | The branch of geology that deals with the occurrence, distribution, and effect of ground water. |
| hydrological | Relating to the properties, distribution and effects of water on and below the earth’s surface, and in the atmosphere. |
| information notice | In cases where provincial ministries are not required to post a proposal notice on the Environmental Registry for public comment, they may still provide a public service by posting an “information notice” on the Registry under Section 6 of the EBR. |
| inhalable particulates | Microscopic airborne particles that are a component of smog. See also smog. |
| inherently toxic | Inherently toxic is a term that is evolving in Canadian law. Caselaw under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) has distinguished between substances that are and are not inherently toxic. According to the Ontario Court of Appeal, all inherently toxic substances have the capacity to impair water under the OWRA, in contravention of s. 30(1), whereas, to determine whether substances that are not inherently toxic have the capacity to impair water under the Act, courts must consider conditions surrounding their release, such as the quantities and concentrations involved and the timeframe of release. |
| instrument | Any document of legal effect issued under an Act, including a permit, licence, approval, authorization, direction or order. The Ministry of the Environment refers to these instruments as “control documents”. |
| instrument classification | The requirement in the EBR that certain ministries prepare a regulation to classify proposals for instruments. Instruments are classified as either as Class I, II or III proposals according to their level of environmental significance, public notice and participation requirements, and the potential for public hearings to be held. |
| instrument holder | The individual or business that has obtained an instrument. |
| intensive livestock operation | Large-scale livestock production carried out on a relatively small land base. |
| invasive alien species | Invasive alien species are organisms such as birds, mammals, fish, insects, plants, molluscs or micro-organisms from other countries or regions that have been introduced into habitats where they are not naturally found either today or in the past, and which out-compete native species for food and habitat. |
| land farm | A waste disposal site used by the petrochemical industry to dispose of sludges produced during the refining process |
| land use planning | Includes identifying problems, defining objectives, collecting information, analysing alternatives, and determining a course of action for the use(s) of land within a geographical area. |
| larva | The newly-hatched form of insects before they develop into an adult. |
| larvicide | In the context of the West Nile virus, a pesticide placed in standing water to control mosquitoes in the larval stage. |
| leachate | Liquid that percolates through landfill waste and contains contaminants leached from such waste. |
| leachate plume | An underground leak of leachate from a landfill site into soil and groundwater. |
| leave to appeal | The process under the EBR of someone other than an instrument holder requesting permission from an appeal body to appeal a ministry decision to grant an instrument. |
| lime | Compounds mostly of calcium carbonate but also other basic (alkaline) substances used to correct soil acidity and occasionally as fertilizers to supply magnesium. |
| load shifting | Scheduling or organizing the timing of electricity demand in order to optimize the use of generating and distributing resources, for example, moving some discretionary electricity consumption away from peak hours (late afternoon) to lower demand periods (early morning). |
| mandatory compliance | The enforcement of government laws and regulations through formal mechanisms such as issuance of control documents or Orders, or the legal enforcement of existing control documents or Orders.
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| memorandum of understanding (MOU) | A document setting out the terms of a relationship between two or more organizations. Similar to a contract but without the same force or effect in law. See also voluntary agreements. |
| mercaptan | Various compounds that are analogous to the alcohols and phenols but contain sulphur in place of oxygen and often have disagreeable odours. |
| microbiological | Relating to the biology of microorganisms and their effects on other organisms. |
| mine tailings | Crushed rock by-product of mining.
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| mitigation | To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; to alleviate. |
| MOBILE Models | A series of models developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and adopted by the Ministry of the Environment with some modifications to predict the emissions reductions to be achieved through vehicle Inspection and Maintenance programs such as Ontario’s Drive Clean program.
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| molybdenum | A hard metallic element that is an essential trace element in plant and animal nutrition. |
| moraine | A landform composed of an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier. |
| moratorium | A temporary ban or suspension of some activity. |
| morbidity | Amount of disease; sick rate. |
| mortality | Death rate. |
| municipal drinking water systems | Communal drinking water treatment plants, wells and other equipment that supply drinking water to more than a minimum number of residents, as provided by regulations under Ontario’s Safe Drinking Water Act. |
| Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) | household wastes that have corrosive, flammable, toxic, ignitable and/or chemically reactive properties or that have been designated as “special”, such as batteries, portable fire extinguishers, fluorescent light bulbs and thermostats |
| National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) | The NPRI of Environment Canada, a legislated, nation-wide, publicly accessible inventory. The NPRI provides Canadians with access to pollutant release information for facilities located in their communities. |
| native species | Organisms that occur naturally in a particular area instead of being introduced, directly or indirectly, by human activity. |
| net metering | Consumers of electricity can deduct the amount of electricity that they supply to the grid (via solar panels for example) with the use of a net metering device. The consumer receives a credit for the electricity conveyed on to the electricity grid (referred to as “net billing”). |
| Niagara Escarpment | Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment is a provincially and internationally significant geological landform. The Escarpment is a forested ridge travelling 725 km from Queenston, near Niagara Falls, to Tobermory, at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. |
| nitrate | A soluble form of nitrogen that is not absorbed by soil particles and can leach into groundwater. Sources of nitrate include decaying plant or animal matter, agricultural fertilizers, manure and sewage. |
| nitrogen oxides | Air pollutants that contribute to smog and acid rain. Nitrogen oxides occur naturally in the environment but are also generated by the combustion of fuels. |
| nutrient | The Nutrient Management Act, 2002, defines a nutrient as any material that is applied to land for the purpose of improving crop growth. Examples of nutrients include manure, commercial fertilizers, compost, sewage biosolids and pulp and paper sludge. |
| nutrient management plan (NMP) | A plan for storing, handling and land application of manure, sludge or other nutrients used for agricultural fertilizer, while minimizing adverse environmental effects. Such plans should take into account variables such as soil, water and weather conditions. Regulations under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002, may require an agricultural operation that uses nutrients to prepare a NMP. |
| nutrient management strategy (NMS) | The strategy defines what nutrients will be generated and how they will be used. Nutrients include manure, biosolids, and pulp and paper sludge. Regulations under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002, may require a producer of nutrients to prepare a NMS. |
| nutrient unit (NU) | Under O. Reg. 267/03 of the 'Nutrient Management Act, 2002, a nutrient unit is defined as the amount of nutrient equivalent to the commercial fertilizer replacement value of the lower of 43 kg of nitrogen or 55 kg of phosphate. |
| Oak Ridges Moraine | The Oak Ridges Moraine is an environmentally sensitive, geological landform in south-central Ontario, covering 190,000 hectares and stretching from Milton at the Niagara Escarpment to Rice Lake near Peterborough. |
| occurrence reports | A document prepared by Ministry of the Environment staff in situations that may require abatement or enforcement. The reports often make recommendations on whether further action is required. The reports are logged on a computer system called the Occurrence Report Information System (ORIS). |
| Odour detection threshold (ODT) | the concentration (in air, micrograms per cubic metre) at which 50% of an odour panel can detect the odour |
| Odour unit (OU) | the number of equal volumes of odour-free air needed to dilute an odour sample down to a level at which 50% of an odour panel can detect the odour |
| Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS) | Standards for drinking water supplies in Ontario as defined in O. Reg. 170/03 under the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
| Ontario Power Generation (OPG) | A successor company of Ontario Hydro whose principle business is the generation and sale of electricity. |
| opacity | As defined in Ontario Regulation 346 under the EPA, opacity means (a) the colour of a visible pollutant emission in shades of grey to black, or (b) the degree to which a visible emission obstructs the passage of light. |
| outdoor living area | Defined by Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment as the part of an outdoor area easily accessible from the building and designed for the quiet enjoyment of the outdoor environment. |
| overburden | Surface soil that must be moved in order to extract aggregates. |
| ozone | Ozone, a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen, serves an important role in the earth’s ozone layer by insulating the planet from excessive ultra-violet radiation. At ground-level, ozone is harmful. Ground-level ozone (produced largely through combustion in automobiles) is a component of smog. See also smog. |
| ozone layer | The ozone layer is a thin veil of ozone (O3), a colourless gas. Most atmospheric ozone is found between 15-35 km above the surface of the earth in a region known as the stratosphere. The ozone layer is beneficial to life on earth as it absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun. |
| pathogen | An agent causing disease. |
| perfluorocarbons (PFCs) | Perfluorocarbons are hydrocarbons that have had the hydrogen atoms removed and replaced by fluorine, making them excellent solvents for gases because they have little intramolecular interaction and low surface tension. Discharged in the aluminium manufacturing process, scientists estimate that the impact of a perfluorocarbon compound on the atmosphere is 6500 to 9200 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. |
| permit-by-rule | A regulatory system that “deems” regulatory approval to exist where a company operates within parameters set by regulation, rather than requiring individual certificates of approval or other permits for each case. |
| pH | A measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in solution. A solution with a high concentration of hydrogen ions is called an acid and a solution with a low concentration is called a base. |
| phenol | A caustic poisonous crystalline acidic compound present in coal tar and wood tar that, when diluted, is used as a disinfectant. |
| pickle liquor | The hydrochloric acid solution used in the pickling of steel. |
| pickling | The use of hydrochloric acid solutions to clean oxides off steel strips before they are further processed. |
| piece mealing | In the context of an environmental assessment, to break a project into several parts instead of considering the components as one project. |
| Planning Act | A statute of Ontario, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended. Establishes the land use planning process within the province. |
| polder | A low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes. |
| PM10 | Small inhalable particulates under 10 micrometres in diameter. They can penetrate lungs more deeply than larger particulates, affecting sensitive groups like children and people who have respiratory difficulties. |
| PM2.5 | Small inhalable particulates under 2.5 micrometres in diameter. They can penetrate lungs more deeply than larger particulates, affecting sensitive groups like children and people who have respiratory difficulties. |
| point of impingement standards (POI) | A point of impingement is any place where a pollutant contacts the ground or a building. In Ontario, emissions limits included in certificates of approval and O. Reg. 346 are established based on point of impingement standards rather than top-of-the-stack (or point of emission) standards. |
| policy | A program, plan or objective and includes guidelines or criteria to be used in making decisions about the issuance, amendment or revocation of instruments. |
| pollution prevention | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines pollution prevention as source reduction practices that reduce the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Source reduction practices also reduce the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Pollution prevention includes practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or protection of natural resources by conservation. |
| polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | A class of synthetic organic compounds that are toxic and very persistent in the environment. PCBs accumulate in living organisms over their lifetimes. |
| polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | Compounds that occur naturally in living organisms and as a byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuels; they can also be produced synthetically in laboratories. Although PAHs are essential to life and commerce, some are extremely toxic and carcinogenic. |
| polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | A tough plastic that releases hydrochloric acid and dioxin when burned.
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| prescribed (ministries, Acts, regulations or instruments) | The various ministries, Acts, regulations or instruments that are specified in the regulations made under the EBR and to which the provisions of the EBR apply. |
| prescribed burning | The knowledgeable application of fire to a specific land area to accomplish predetermined forest management or other land use objectives. |
| prion | Short for “proteinaceous and infectious particles.” Prions are involved in the causation of various infectious diseases of neural tissue, generally classed as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. |
| proponent | According to the EAA, a person who carries out or proposes to carry out an undertaking, or is the owner or person having charge, management or control of an undertaking. |
| Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) | The PPS is issued under the Planning Act and sets out policies on matters such as economic development, land use patterns, infrastructure, protection of agricultural lands and natural heritage. |
| Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO) | PWQOs are numerical and narrative ambient surface water (lakes, rivers and streams) quality criteria. They specify quality requirements for the protection of aquatic life and recreational water uses. |
| provincially significant wetland | As defined in the Provincial Policy Statement, 1996, wetlands are lands that are seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water, as well as lands where the water table is close to or at the surface. The four major types of wetlands are swamps, marshes, bogs and fens. A wetland is identified as provincially significant by the Ministry of Natural Resources using evaluation procedures established by the province, as amended from time to time.
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| public nuisance action | A lawsuit involving an unreasonable interference with a person’s use and enjoyment of their land. The EBR permits anyone who experiences direct economic or personal loss because of a public nuisance causing environmental harm to sue for damages or other personal remedies. The right to conduct such a lawsuit was limited prior to the EBR. |
| quarry | Land or land under water from which consolidated aggregate (for example limestone, dolostone, marble, granite) is being or has been excavated, and that has not been rehabilitated. |
| quarry dewatering | Where extraction of sand and gravel takes place below the water table, water seeps into the quarry. To allow extraction, quarry operators must pump the water away from their quarry and into nearby bodies of water. Dewatering can lower the level of underground aquifers, causing adverse environmental impacts and threatening the water supplies of well users. See drawdown. |
| refrigerant | Any fluid, gas, or substance used in a cooling device (e.g., refrigerator, chiller, air conditioner) to transfer heat energy from one location to another. Many commonly used refrigerants are ozone-depleting substances. |
| regulation | A form of law, rule or order of a legislative nature specifically authorized under a provision of a statute and approved by Cabinet. It has the force of law when in effect. |
| regulatory impact statement | A statement that may be prepared by a ministry to permit more informed public consultation on a proposed regulation. It includes: a statement of the objectives of the proposal; a preliminary assessment of the environmental, social and economic consequences of implementing the proposal; and an explanation of why the environmental objectives of the proposal would be achieved by making, amending or revoking a regulation. |
| Remedial Action Plans | Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) work to reduce pollution in Areas of Concern identified under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. RAPs are prepared and implemented through cooperation between federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Coordinating committees, assisted by public advisory committees, manage each RAP.
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| resource-based tourism | A sector of the tourism industry that provides guests with opportunities to experience nature in a remote setting. |
| respirable particulates (RP) | Respirable particulates are less than 2.5 microns in size and can travel to the deepest part of the respiratory tract when inhaled. Respirable particulates are emitted directly into the air by diesel and gasoline engines, fuel combustion, power plants and many industries. They can also be formed in the atmosphere by the chemical reaction of gaseous pollutants, such as sulphates from sulphur dioxide, nitrates from nitrogen oxide and organic particulates from volatile organic compounds. |
| Responsibility Agreement (RA) | An agreement, usually between the Ministry of the Environment and a municipality, which is intended to ensure that the municipality will assume responsibility in the event that the owner of a communal service system for water or sewage fails to operate and maintain the system. |
| review period | The period of time covered by the Environmental Commissioner’s annual report from April 1st to March 31st of the following year. |
| riparian | Relating to the banks of a natural watercourse. |
| rotary kiln | An incinerator with a rotating combustion chamber that keeps waste moving, thereby allowing it to vapourize for easier burning. |
| salvage logging | The recovery or harvesting of timber that has been killed or damaged by natural causes, such as fire, wind, flood, insects and disease.
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| securement | In the field of conservation, refers to setting aside or protecting lands and habitat through a variety of means, including purchase, agreement, designation or the creation of parks and reserves. |
| Selected Targets for Air Compliance program (STAC) | The Selected Target for Air Compliance program audits how well major facilities comply with point of impingement (POI) air standards, targeting a number of facilities in key sectors. The intent of the program is to ensure that neighbouring communities are not exposed to exceedances of regulated air contaminants. |
| septage (hauled sewage) | Waste pumped from domestic septic tanks or holding tanks, and waste from portable toilets. This material is primarily human faeces and other toilet waste, as well as waste from showers, bathtubs, kitchen and laundry sinks.
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| Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) | Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a severe form of pneumonia that affected Toronto and a number of other cities around the world during the spring of 2003. |
| sewage sludge (biosolids) | The settled residue from municipal sewage treatment plants. |
| silviculture | The science, theory and practice of cultivating forests, through tending, harvesting and regeneration operations.
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| sludge | Any solid, semi-solid, or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant or air pollution control facility. Also referred to as biosolids or processed organic waste. |
| Smart Growth | A term used to describe a new approach to land use planning. |
| smog | Low-lying urban air that can make the air appear dirty or hazy, smog contains ground level ozone, nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and suspended particles from motor vehicles, industry, and other sources. Large cities have the greatest problems with smog, especially during the summer. |
| smog precursors | Air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that combine in the presence of sunlight to form a mix of chemicals known as smog. |
| SO2 | Sulphur dioxide |
| sound-sorb | A mixture of paper fibre solids, sand and compost. |
| source protection plans | Plans that will be developed for each of Ontario's watersheds and approved by the Ministry of the Environment. The plans would be binding on all provincial and municipal government decisions directly affecting drinking water safety and are intended to ensure that water sources are protected from industrial, agricultural and other point and non-point form pollution sources. The need for these plans was identified by the Walkerton Inquiry. |
| species at risk | An extirpated, threatened or endangered species or a species of special concern. |
| species of special concern | A species with characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events. |
| spent pickle liquor | A liquid waste produced in metal finishing and similar industries. The liquid is acidic and contains heavy metals. |
| Statement of Environmental Values (SEV) | A statement, required by the EBR, that explains how the purposes of the EBR are to be applied when environmentally significant decisions are made in the ministry and how consideration of the purposes of the EBR should be integrated with other considerations, including social, economic and scientific considerations, that are part of decision-making in the ministry. |
| statute of limitations | A law that sets out the maximum period of time that a person, corporation or government body may wait before filing a lawsuit or prosecuting an offence. This period of time may vary depending on the type of claim or offence. |
| steward | The Blue Box Program Plan defines stewards as brand owners and first importers of products into Ontario that result in Blue Box wastes such as paper, glass, aluminum, steel and plastic.
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| subwatershed | A watershed is an area of land defined by the characteristic that all runoff drains to a common main river (or lake, or chain of lakes) via a series of tributaries. Each of the tributaries of the main river or lake system has its own drainage area, known as a subwatershed. |
| sulphur dioxide (SO2) | A colourless gas with a pungent, distinctive odour. Exposure to high concentrations can cause breathing discomfort and respiratory illness. It can also be chemically transformed into acidic pollutants and fine particles, both of which pose health risks and is known as a contributor to smog and acid rain. |
| sustainability | The concept that economic development must take full account of the environmental consequences of economic activity. Sustainability of the environment is achieved through using resources so that they can be replaced or renewed and therefore are not depleted. |
| SWAT | SWAT is a group created by the Ministry of the Environment for the purpose of ensuring compliance with Ontario’s environmental laws through inspections of specific sectors. |
| taxonomic classification | Orderly classification of plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships. |
| thermocline | A layer in a body of water in which the water temperature changes rapidly with depth relative to the layers of water above and below. |
| third parties | Persons who are not parties to an original decision; but who are deemed to have a right or an interest in the decision. |
| threatened species | A species that is likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. |
| three R (3R) regulations | The general term for Ontario Regulations 101/94, 102/94, 103/94, 104/94 and 105/94. The regulations require that 3R activity be undertaken by some municipalities and institutional, commercial and industrial sectors. |
| three Rs (3Rs)-reduce, reuse, recycle | Actions that can be taken by users of products, with respect to the packaging of the product or the product itself once use is completed, as a means of diverting waste from landfill or other disposal options. Often the 3Rs are referred to as a “hierarchy” because reduction is more effective than reuse, and reuse is more effective than recycling, in terms of minimizing the use of resources and the creation of waste requiring disposal. |
| tile drains | Underground perforated pipes, installed under crop fields to remove excess water from soils. Collected drainage water is channelled through ditches to waterways. |
| total phosphorus (TP) | Refers to the concentration of phosphorus in water. |
| Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) | The broader class of severe, fatal diseases of neural tissue which are transmitted by proteinaceous infections particles known as prions. Included in this class are Chronic Wasting Disease (elk, deer and bison), scrapie (sheep), variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (humans), and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (“mad cow disease”) of cattle. |
| transportation demand management | A coordinated strategy to reduce car use by encouraging transit, carpooling, cycling, walking, telecommuting and flexible work hours. |
| tritium | Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that is recognized as a carcinogen. It occurs naturally, but the major source in Ontario is from water and air emissions from nuclear energy plants operated by Ontario Power Generation Corporation.
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| ultraviolet radiation | A specific portion of the sun’s energy that reaches the surface of the earth, specifically, the shortwave, non-visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. At elevated levels, ultraviolet radiation can be harmful to plants, animals and humans. The earth’s ozone layer helps to prevent excessive levels from reaching most of the surface of the earth. See ozone layer. |
| undertaking | An enterprise, activity, proposal, plan or program. Environmentally significant proposals of the Ontario government, municipal governments, and some private persons (as designated by regulation) are subject to requirements of the EAA. |
| unposted decision | Under the EBR, prescribed ministries are required to post notices of environmentally significant proposals on the Environmental Registry for public comment. When it comes to the attention of the Environmental Commissioner that ministries have not posted such proposals on the Registry, we review that decision to determine whether the public’s participation rights under the EBR have been respected.
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| variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD) | Sometimes referred to as new variant CJD, this is one of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) class of diseases transmitted and induced by proteinaceous infectious agents called prions. This is a relatively rare human disease which, although still debated, is generally accepted to be the result of consumption of beef infected with BSE. |
| vector | An organism carrying disease-causing microorganisms between hosts (e.g., mosquito or tick).
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| virgin wood pulp | The pulp made directly from trees that has been extracted from nature, as opposed to pulp made from recycled wood products.
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| volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | VOC is the collective name given to pollutants that are gases at room temperature and which contain carbon as the primary element. VOCs are found in and released from products such as building materials, cosmetics, household cleaners and electrical equipment. Many VOCs cause symptoms similar to a common cold. Some are believed to be carcinogenic and a serious threat to human health. |
| voluntary agreements (VA) | Agreements made between government and industry associations or individual companies that include commitments to environmental values, goals, or targets. These commitments are voluntary, and are generally not enforceable. |
| voluntary compliance | Refers to an approach taken by the Ministry of the Environment whereby there is no formal enforcement of laws by government officials, but compliance is brought about using non-enforceable agreements with those they are regulating. The opposite of mandatory compliance. |
| Walkerton/Walkerton Inquiry | A reference to the town located in southern Ontario where a number of people died and many made sick by E. coli contamination of the municipal water system in May 2000. A public inquiry was called into the cause of the water contamination. |
| waste manifest | A manifest is a document used to track hazardous waste as it moves from a generator to an off-site disposal facility. Manifests can be used to track overall volumes and movements of hazardous waste disposed of off-site. Starting in 2002, manifests may be filed electronically in Ontario. |
| water management plan (WMP) | A plan required to be submitted (under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act) by one or more power producers on a river system. The plan sets priorities and operating plans for hydroelectric facilities in Ontario. |
| Water Management Planning Guidelines (WMPG) | Guidelines published by the Ministry of Natural Resources designed to guide the production of water management plans. |
| watershed | An area of land where all water drains toward a common point, usually defined by a river and its tributaries. |
| watershed groundwater management | The management of groundwater resources on the basis of watershed boundaries rather than municipal or other jurisdictional boundaries. |
| watershed-based planning process | A process for developing protection and conservation plans for Ontario watersheds led by the Ministry of the Environment and supported or co-led by other provincial ministries, Conservation Authorities, and involving local interests.
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| West Nile virus (WNv) | WNv is an illness that can be spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite an infected bird. WNv was first confirmed in Ontario’s bird population in Windsor-Essex County 2001. Symptoms of WNv can vary from mild illness such as ‘West Nile Fever’ to serious neurological illness such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain.) In 2004, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care noted that approximately four out of five people bitten by an infected mosquito do not show any symptoms of the virus and that there is currently no vaccine for West Nile virus. |
| WNv | West Nile virus Legislation |
| Wood Supply Agreements | Under s. 25 of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, the Minister of Natural Resources may, with the approval of Cabinet, enter into an agreement to supply a person with forest resources. |
