How DiGiSci Environmental Helps Prepare EA Reports?

In Ontario, certain proposed facilities, largely government-backed or infrastructure facilities, require an Environmental Impact Assessment (or “EA”) of some type. This includes transportation (road, rail, etc.) and municipal infrastructure (sewage plants, garbage dumps, etc.). In rarer instances, private sector projects (e.g., controversial gravel pits) may be specially designated, by the Provincial government, for an individual EA. EAs also apply to federally-related projects, but technical requirements are similar to Provincial requirements, so for this article, we will concentrate on EAs in Ontario. DiGiSci Environmental is one of a number of Environmental Consulting Companies that can assist in providing the studies required to meet your EA obligations. Most of our comments will be with respect to air quality impact assessment component of an EA as that is our area of speciality.



An EA is meant to ensure that environmental impacts are not problematic but, at a higher level, also ensure that project planning has carefully considered (possibly less impactful) alternatives to a proposed project.
Provincial EAs can be “individual” full EA or “streamlined” EAs. Individual environmental assessments are prepared for large-scale, complex projects with the potential for significant environmental effects. They require Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks approval.

Streamlined environmental assessments can be used for routine projects that have predictable and manageable environmental effects. Proponents of these types of projects follow a self-assessment and decision-making process. Approval is not directly granted for each project. Streamlined self-assessment processes include:
  • Class Environmental Assessments
  • Electricity Projects Regulation
  • Waste Management Projects Regulation
  • Transit Projects
Unsurprisingly, the EA has to account for various factors including affects on air emissions, noise, water quality, traffic impacts, socio-economic impacts, and so forth.

Air Quality Assessments for EAs

Regardless of the type of EA, you are involved in there are various steps that your air quality experts must go through. In this article, we will provide a brief overview, but will take a deeper dive in later blogs. Most of this article will paraphrase a more detailed explanation provided in the International Association of Impact Assessment’s Guide on Air Quality Impact Assessment. DiGiSci Environmental is a leading environmental assessment company that specialises in air quality and can also provide expertise in other disciplines in EA.
The first step that your air quality experts must become involved in is in the setting of the Terms of Reference (ToR); this is essential a “list of things” you promise to do during the impact assessment. At this stage, you are defining the scope of the air quality assessment. It is important that the scope of the air quality impact assessment is sufficiently wide that you will ensure inclusion of all “on-site” sources or emissions of air pollutants, but also all off-site related activities that are within a reasonable distance of the subject site (and can thus accumulate greater impacts jointly). Since you need agreement from environmental assessment agencies, it is important to be thorough at this stage.

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