Environmental Management
The Environmental Management (EM) Section is responsible for management of the release of wastes and other contaminants from the industrial and agricultural sector of the Lower Mainland Region, except for waste discharges to the air in Metro Vancouver, which are the jurisdiction of Metro Vancouver. The section also maintains ambient air information and provides assessment of ambient air quality for the region, with the exception of the area administered by Metro Vancouver.
Environmental Management administers municipal type waste discharges such as municipal liquid waste (sewage effluent) and municipal solid waste (domestic refuse and demolition, land clearing and construction wastes) through permits, approvals, operational certificates of approved waste management plans, regulations and orders issued pursuant to the Environmental Management Act (EMA). 
The group also administers some non-municipal type of discharges such as kennels and some hazardous waste facilities. In addition, the group is also responsible for recommending no-discharge zones to the federal government under the federal Pleasure Craft Sewage Pollution Prevention Regulations.
Environmental Management issues authorizations (permits, approvals) regarding the discharge of waste to the environment and issues orders concerning pollution and site remediation and administers those documents as well as regulations concerning waste discharges from the industrial and agricultural sector in the region.
The Environmental Management Section is also responsible for assessing the degree of compliance with regulatory obligations that government and industrial sectors are achieving. The compliance assessments are available at Compliance Assessments.
The section also responds to complaints regarding air and water pollution related to discharges from businesses or individuals.
Environmental Emergency Response Officers in the section respond to hazardous material spill incidents and provide technical advice on spill prevention and contingency planning.
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