Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (SOR/92-269)

17. (1) The authorization officer may issue to the owner or operator of a mill referred to in paragraph 15(1)(d) an authorization to combine treated effluent with other effluent before the treated effluent is deposited if

• (a) the operator has taken all reasonable steps, before the effluent is treated, to reduce the BOD of the BOD matter, the quantity of suspended solids and the lethality in respect of the effluent to be treated;

• (b) the operator has instituted or intends to institute a water conservation program at the mill that would so reduce the volume of the effluent requiring treatment that it would still be acutely lethal despite treatment;

• (c) the treatment process removes at least 90 per cent of the BOD of all BOD matter in the effluent that is treated; and

• (d) the other effluent is not acutely lethal before being combined with the treated effluent.

(2) Treated effluent may not be combined with other effluent in accordance with an authorization under subsection (1) unless the operator institutes the water conservation program referred to in that subsection.

18. (1) No authorization shall be issued under section 16 or 17 if the authorization officer has data indicating that the quantity of the deleterious substances to be authorized has had or will have a significant effect on fish, fish habitat or the use by man of fish that is more adverse than if the quantities were the maximum quantities authorized under section 14.

(2) An authorization shall be issued in the form set out in Schedule IV.

(3) The authorization officer may amend or withdraw any authorization if

• (a) new data indicate that the quantity of the substances, authorized by the authorization officer, has had or will have a significant effect on fish, fish habitat or the use by man of fish that is more adverse than if the quantities were the maximum quantities authorized under section 14;

• (b) any of the grounds on which the authorization was issued ceases to be true;

• (c) an owner or operator has not taken all applicable preventative measures at the production stage to reduce the BOD of the BOD matter, the quantity of suspended solids or the lethality in respect of the effluent to be treated; or

• (d) there is a change in any information provided under section 3, 4 or 5 of Schedule III.

(4) Before issuing, amending or withdrawing an authorization, the authorization officer shall consult with officials in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and, if the authorization officer is a provincial official, with officials in the federal Department of the Environment. The authorization officer may also consult with any other person, body or group that has an interest in the authorization.

19. (1) The maximum BOD of the BOD matter and the maximum quantities of suspended solids that the owner or operator of a mill referred to in paragraph 15(1)(a) may be authorized to deposit, or to permit the deposit of, under an authorization are as follows:

• (a) in respect of a daily period, the amounts determined using the formula

  Q_d = (F x 2.5 x RPR) + [0.375 x (B_o or S_o)]

and

• (b) in respect of a month, the amounts determined using the formula

  Q_m = (F x D x 1.5 x RPR) + [0.225 x (B_o or S_o) x D]

  where

  B_o 

  is the average daily BOD of the BOD matter in the waste water from sources other than a mill before it is treated by the mill, calculated for the preceding calendar year and expressed in kilograms,

  D 

  is the number of calendar days in the month,

  F 

  is equal to a factor of 5 for BOD and 7.5 for suspended solids, expressed in kilograms per tonne of finished product,

  Q_d 

  is the maximum BOD of the BOD matter that may be deposited during a daily period or the maximum quantity of suspended solids that may be deposited during a daily period, expressed in kilograms,

  Q_m 

  is the maximum BOD of the BOD matter that may be deposited during a month or the maximum quantity of suspended solids that may be deposited during a month, expressed in kilograms,

  RPR 

  is the reference production rate of the mill for all finished product, expressed in tonnes per day, and

  S_o 

  is the average daily quantity of suspended solids in the waste water from sources other than a mill before it is treated by the mill, calculated for the preceding calendar year and expressed in kilograms.

(2) The values of B_o and S_o and the supporting data referred to in paragraph 7(1)(h) for each calendar year shall be submitted to the authorization officer no later than January 31 of the following calendar year.

(3) If there are insufficient data on which to calculate the values of B_o and S_o, an estimate of those values may be made based on the data that are available.