Environmental Compliance in B.C.

Floods and authorization requirements

Flooding has had significant impacts on people and communities and meeting authorization requirements are critical to the response effort. You are expected to take all reasonable measures to comply.

If you can't meet authorization requirements due to flooding or other events outside of your control:

Make sure existing notification and reporting requirements within the authorization are followed
Notify the ministry by email: EnvironmentalCompliance@gov.bc.ca

In the email, you need to identify:

The compliance issues
Rationale that clearly states why you can't comply
Mitigative measures you are taking

When addressing non-compliance, we take into consideration site-specific circumstances including the current provincial state of emergency

British Columbia’s environmental compliance model uses a consistent, risk-based approach to ensuring compliance. Each situation is assessed on its own merits. The most appropriate response for each situation is chosen based on the best available information.

Environmental Compliance Explained

Video explaining how environmental compliance inspections are done in BC under the Environmental Management and Integrated Pest Management Acts.

Verifying & Promoting Compliance

Provincial inspectors verify compliance with requirements under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) and the Integrated Pest Management Act (IPMA). Most often, inspections are of authorizations under the EMA or IPMA. However, not all regulated parties need authorization but are still responsible for following requirements under the EMA or IPMA and are subject to inspections.

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Authorizations under EMA

An authorization under the EMA may be a registration or notification under a regulation or code of practice, a permit, approval, waste management plan or operational certificate.

Authorizations under IPMA

An authorization under the IPMA may be a permit, confirmation, licence or certificate.

Inspections make sure regulated parties are following requirements designed to protect the environment and human health. A goal of provincial inspections is to also encourage the voluntary improvement of business’s environmental practices.

Provincial inspectors promote compliance through education, outreach and raising awareness of regulatory requirements. This is achieved through training sessions, developing information pamphlets and attending conferences.