The Ontario Air Practitioners Group (Practitioners) are environmental professionals and representatives from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) that gather from time to time to meet to informally discuss issues related to regulatory compliance.  The group has developed guidance materials, best practice documents, and has provided a discussion forum and input for the practical aspects of regulatory compliance for S9 approvals and O.Reg. 419/05.  This approach has proven useful to both Practitioners and the different branches within the MOE and has resulted in an increased quality of work submitted to the MOE.  Some of this work has facilitated interpretation by various branches within the MOE regarding the language contained within the Environmental Protection Act and associated regulations.

With over 100 active and corresponding representatives from consulting firms and industries whose day-to-day roles are heavily involved in the permitting process and compliance, we are in a unique position to offer a combined experience that can assist in developing effective and meaningful regulations and associated guidance materials.

While the historical focus of the Practitioners has primarily been on air certificates of approvals, we have also included the development of new air standards and changes to O. Reg. 519/05; issues around cumulative effects; the development of the Ontario toxics reporting program; approvals modernization; combined ambient monitoring and modelling; and other related subjects.