Environmental effects monitoring

Some Fisheries Act regulations require environmental effects monitoring as a condition for the authorization to deposit effluent into waters frequented by fish. Environmental effects monitoring involves assessing whether effluents are having an effect on fish, fish habitat, and use of fish by humans. It may also involve investigating the cause of an effect and identifying solutions to eliminate it. Environmental effects monitoring supports the Government of Canada in assessing the performance of regulations for protecting the environment.

Regulations requiring environmental effects monitoring

Environmental effects monitoring is required under two Fisheries Act regulations administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada:

In these regulations, environmental effects monitoring is used as a science-based performance measurement tool to assess if effluent quality conditions are sufficiently protective of fish, fish habitat, and use of fish, for example, for human consumption.

The environmental effects monitoring requirements can include:

  • effluent characterization;
  • water quality monitoring;
  • sublethal toxicity testing;
  • biological monitoring of fish, the benthic invertebrate community, and fish tissue;
  • investigation of the cause of an effect; and
  • identification of possible solutions to eliminate an effect.

Technical guidance and other resources

Environment and Climate Change Canada has developed technical guidance documents, protocols, checklists, and other resources to help regulatees comply with environmental effects monitoring requirements.

Technical guidance for environmental effects monitoring

The technical guidance documents below include methods on how to conduct environmental effects monitoring studies that reflect generally accepted standards of best scientific practices.

2010 Pulp and Paper Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Technical Guidance Document

Find the corrected version of Table 3-5, Fish species commonly used in environmental effects monitoring, aspects to consider during study design, and recommended sampling times.

A set of Q&As is also available to provide additional information for pulp and paper mills.

2012 Metal Mining Technical Guidance for Environmental Effects Monitoring.

Additional resources

Electronic reporting of data and reports

All environmental effects monitoring data and reports must be submitted electronically in the format provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, unless otherwise specified in the applicable regulations.

Pulp and paper mills

The Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting (EEMER) system must be used to input information required in Schedule IV.1 of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations:

Information to be entered into EEMER:

  • sublethal toxicity test results and related laboratory reports;
  • study designs;
  • interpretive reports; and
  • biological monitoring study data.

Learn more about the EEMER system.

Metal and diamond mines

Information required in Schedule 5 of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations must be entered in either one of the systems below, the choice of the system depends on the type of information to be entered.

The Mine Effluent Reporting System (MERS) must be used to input information required in Part 1 of Schedule 5.

Information to be entered into MERS:

  • effluent characterization results;
  • sublethal toxicity test results;
  • water quality monitoring results, except for the results of monitoring conducted in sampling areas selected for biological monitoring studies when such studies are being conducted;
  • a description of the methods used for effluent characterization and water quality monitoring; and
  • a description of the quality assurance and quality control measures that were implemented and the data related to the implementation of those measures.

Learn more about MERS.

The Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting (EEMER) system must be used to input information required in Part 2 of Schedule 5.

Information to be entered into EEMER:

  • study designs;
  • interpretative reports; and
  • biological monitoring study data.

Learn more about the EEMER system.

How to access and use the Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting system

The Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting (EEMER) system is an online interface for the submission of:

  • study designs
  • interpretative reports
  • biological monitoring study data
  • required under environmental effects monitoring

Pulp and paper mills can also use the system to submit sublethal toxicity test results.

Accessing the Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting system

EEMER is accessible through ECCC’s Single Window by using a sign-in partner or a GCKey. Learn more about Single Window by consulting the guide to using Single Window.

In Single Window, you will need to create or verify your account. If you are the owner or operator of a facility, you will need to create or verify the profile of your organization and add each facility owned or operated by your organization for which EEMER access is required. Once this is done, the last step is to obtain an ECCC Key for EEMER.

The steps to obtain an ECCC Key differ depending on whether you are the Organization Lead of the organization or not. Only the Organization Lead can administer access to EEMER for themselves and others (e.g., other organization representatives or consultants).

The Organization Lead

The first owner or operator to register an organization in Single Window automatically becomes the Organization Lead. Organization Leads can be added and deleted. To add an Organization Lead, you have to follow the steps described below but select Single Window instead of EEMER at Step 7. Once the generated ECCC Key is redeemed, the redeeming individual (account) will also have the Organization Lead role.

How to obtain an ECCC Key if you are the Organization Lead

Step 1: Log into Single Window.

Step 2: Click on Organizations on the left-hand menu.

Step 3: Select the name of your organization, or if you cannot find it, add it.

Step 4: Click on Facilities on the left-hand menu under Organizations to select or add the facility for which EEMER access is required to your organization’s profile. This step is important because you cannot obtain or grant system access without first adding a facility to your organization’s profile.

Step 5: Click on Manage Access on the left-hand menu under Organizations.

Step 6: In this step, verify on the Manage Access page whether you have the Organization Lead role for your organization. If yes, click on the blue Grant Access button. If you do not have the Organization Lead role, follow the steps below to obtain system access. If you do not know who the Organization Lead for your organization is, contact us.

Step 7: On the Grant Access page, select EEMER.

Step 8: Select the type of role you wish to have for yourself or for someone else. There are two types of roles in EEMER: Regulatee or Consultant-Laboratory. Only users with a Regulatee role can submit data or reports in the system.

Step 9: Select the facility (or facilities) for which access is required and click on Continue.

Step 10: Enter the number of keys needed and click Generate. If you need to grant access to several users, including yourself, you will need one key per user. Each key is unique and can only be used by one user for one facility at a time. The key can only be used once.

Step 11: Each user who obtains a key (an alpha-numerical sequence) will need to log in with their own Single Window account, then click on Redeem ECCC Key on the left-hand menu, copy and paste the key emailed to them, and then click on Activate Key. This will add EEMER to the list of reporting systems the user has access to on the Home page of Single Window.

How to obtain an ECCC Key if you are NOT the Organization Lead

Step 1: Contact the Organization Lead of the organization that owns or operates the facility for which you need to obtain EEMER access. Ask the Organization Lead for an ECCC Key for EEMER and specify the type of account you need (Regulatee or Consultant-Laboratory). If you do not know who the Organization Lead is, contact us.

Step 2: Once you receive the ECCC Key, log into Single Window.

Step 3: Click on Redeem ECCC Key on the left-hand menu in Single Window, copy and paste the key (an alpha-numerical sequence) that was sent to you, and then click on Activate Key. This will add EEMER to the list of reporting systems you have access to on the Home page of Single Window.

Using the Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting system

Regulatee and Consultant-Laboratory roles

There are two roles in EEMER, a Regulatee role and a Consultant-Laboratory role. A user with a Consultant-Laboratory role can enter, upload, or download data, study designs, or interpretative reports into EEMER but cannot submit them on behalf of the owner or operator of a regulated facility. Only users with a Regulatee role can do so. Because the date of submission from a Regulatee account is the date used to determine compliance with regulatory deadlines, it is important that only authorized signatories for a facility be granted a Regulatee role in EEMER.

Format for data entry, study designs, or reports

Biological monitoring study data can be entered directly into EEMER. The data may also be organized beforehand in the system’s submission format by using an Excel template created to this effect, before copying (using CTRL+C) and pasting (using CTRL+V) them into EEMER. This intermediary step facilitates the verification and validation of data before entering them into EEMER. Contact us for a copy of this Excel template and indicate if the data are for a mine or a pulp and paper mill.

Contrary to biological monitoring study data, sublethal toxicity test results for pulp and paper mills must be entered directly into EEMER.

All reports, such as laboratory reports for sublethal toxicity tests conducted at pulp and paper mills, study designs or interpretative reports, must be uploaded as PDFs directly into EEMER.

EEMER system user guide

Detailed information on how to access and use EEMER is provided in the EEMER system user guide. Contact us for a copy.

Should you require additional assistance or have any questions, contact the EEMER system administrator at eem-esee@ec.gc.ca.

Open data and publications

Open data

National assessments

Pulp and paper mills

Metal and diamond mines

Research

Workshop and working group proceedings

Contact us

Regional coordinators

Pacific and Yukon

101-401 Burrard Street
Vancouver BC  V6C 3R2
Telephone: 250-287-1866
Email: ec.rpy.aa-ao.pyr.ec@ec.gc.ca

Prairies and the North

Eastgate Offices
9250 49th Street
Edmonton AB  T6B 1K5
Telephone: 780-717-4884
Email: drrpn-rdpnr@ec.gc.ca

Ontario

4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview ON  M3H 5T4
Email: eseeontario-eemontario@ec.gc.ca

Quebec

105 McGill Street, 4th floor
Montreal QC  H2Y 2E7
Telephone: 438-340-8402
Email: esee.quebec-eem.quebec@ec.gc.ca

Atlantic

45 Alderney Drive, 16th floor
Queen’s Square
Dartmouth NS  B2Y 2N6
Email: aa.atlanticao.atl@ec.gc.ca

Regional Authorization Officers (pulp and paper mills only)

Pacific and Yukon

101-401 Burrard Street
Vancouver BC  V6C 3R2
Email: ec.rpy.aa-ao.pyr.ec@ec.gc.ca

Prairies and the North

Eastgate Offices
9250 49th Street
Edmonton AB  T6B 1K5

Region: Manitoba
Telephone: 204-983-1813
Email: drrpn-rdpnr@ec.gc.ca

Region: Saskatchewan
Telephone: 1-800-567-4224 (toll free in North America) or 306-787-2584
Email: centre.inquiry@gov.sk.ca

Region: Alberta
Telephone: 780-538-5260
Email: aep.epeaborealregion@gov.ab

Ontario

4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview ON  M3H 5T4
Telephone: 416-739-5880
Email: eseeontario-eemontario@ec.gc.ca

Quebec

105 McGill Street, 4th floor
Montreal QC  H2Y 2E7
Email: aa.quebec-ao.quebec@ec.gc.ca

Atlantic

45 Alderney Drive, 16th floor
Queen’s Square
Dartmouth NS  B2Y 2N6
Telephone: 819-639-8911
Email: aa.atlanticao.atl@ec.gc.ca

If you require assistance

For questions related to the Environmental Effects Monitoring Electronic Reporting system, please contact our main office at:

Forest Products and Fisheries Act Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 St. Joseph Boulevard, 19th floor
Gatineau QC  K1A 0H3
Email: eem-esee@ec.gc.ca

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