Among the several amendments proposed by the Quebec government
to the environmental regulatory framework in an omnibus package
published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on
February 22, 2023, is a significant increase to the annual duties
payable by establishments subject to the Regulation respecting
the operation of industrial establishments for the discharge
of contaminants into the environment.
Proposed measures include:
Increase of the rate used to calculate duties from $2.20 to
$9.08 per ton of discharges into water and the atmosphere
Substantial increase of the weighting factor used to calculate
duties for discharges of arsenic and cadmium into the
atmosphere
These increases would allow the government to collect over 10
million dollars more each year. How these funds would be used
remains vague: the government indicated that it is considering
reinvesting them to improve the environmental performance of the
industrial sector and the protection of air
