The federal Environment Ministry is examining whether restaurants and bakeries utilizing wood-fired ovens need to report their air pollution emissions annually to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI).
The NPRI is a federally mandated inventory of pollutants released by industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. Recent compliance promotion efforts by the NPRI program targeted wood-fired ovens in establishments such as pizzerias and bagel shops across Canada, including Montreal.
Approximately 100 commercial outlets on Montreal’s island continue to cook food in wood-fired ovens or over charcoal grills, raising concerns from public health authorities about the health risks associated with fine particulate pollution in wood smoke. The NPRI’s compliance promotion activities serve as an initial step to determine if these facilities meet reporting thresholds, with follow-ups underway.
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While the NPRI does not set emissions limits, it can impose fines for non-compliance with reporting requirements. The regulation of wood-burning appliances has traditionally fallen under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, though some municipalities and provinces have set limits on emissions from new wood-burning appliances for homes.
Montreal, in particular, has faced criticism for its delayed action in addressing air pollution from wood-burning businesses. In 2018, Mayor Valérie Plante signaled an end to tolerating excessive pollution but has since transferred the regulation of commercial wood burners to the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) council.
The MMC’s Standing Committee on Environment and Ecological Transition is expected to submit a proposed bylaw for public hearings in early 2024 after pandemic-related postponements in 2020.
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