Acidifying Emissions Management Implementation Team

Acidifying Emissions Management Implementation Team

Also known as the Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Management team, the Acidifying Emissions Management Implementation Team was formed in 1997 to:

• Coordinate the implementation of the recommendations in the 1997 report of SO2 Management Project Team.
• Evaluate and report on the implementation of the recommendations and the effectiveness of the enhanced management system.
• Develop recommendations for managing acidifying emissions in Alberta.
• Develop plans for (a) voluntary initiatives for enhanced performance, and (b) management of the differences between actual environmental conditions and environmental limits.
• Review current emissions abatement strategies for NOx and SO2 sources, and make recommendations on the need for improvements.

Learn more in the terms of reference.

AWARD

In 2000, CASA won the Premier’s Award for Excellence (Bronze) with the Target Loading Report.

REPORTS

• Final report
• Report and recommendations

If you’d like more information, please email casa@casahome.org.

History

CASA recognized the importance of effectively managing emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in Alberta. It responded to this issue by establishing an SO2 Project Team to review the system of managing SO2 emissions in the province and develop recommendations for improvements.

This team recommended a management system to the CASA Board in 1997 that explicitly linked the day-to-day management of SO2 emissions, goals and objectives for management, and the management tools with provision for periodic evaluation and improvement. A new multi-stakeholder team—the Acidifying Emissions Management Implementation Team, or AEMIT—was subsequently established to coordinate the implementation of these recommendations.

After its formation, AEMIT established subgroups to address priority work in four areas: critical and target loads for acid deposition in Alberta; enhanced performance, including ways to minimize the cost of managing emissions; evaluation of the SO2 management system; and NOx/SOx abatement.

In June 1999, AEMIT presented and the CASA Board approved a comprehensive package, which included the final report and recommendations from the Target Loading Subgroup; the report from the Enhanced Performance Subgroup; and the proposed evaluation framework with goals, objectives and performance measures, and evaluation protocols. This represented the first of three evaluation reports to the Board, and was followed by similar reports in June 2000 and November 2001.

The NOx/SOx Subgroup reviewed current emission abatement strategies for NOx and SO2 sources and made recommendations to the AEMIT team in June 2001 on potential management options.

AEMIT addressed all of the items in its terms of reference. AEMIT members agreed to request an opportunity to make a presentation to CASA’s newly established Electricity Project Team on the findings of the NOx/SOx Subgroup and on the value of a provincial emissions reduction target approach for that team’s consideration.

The submission of AEMIT’s final report to the Board in June 2002 concluded its work. By consensus, the board agreed to approve AEMIT’s recommendations with a revision and disbanded the team.

It will be important for CASA to follow up on AEMIT’s recommendations to ensure they are implemented.