Proposed Amendments to Air Quality Management Fees Bylaw

Metro Vancouver charges regulatory fees on authorized air emissions to recover regulatory program costs and encourage emission reductions. Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1330, 2021 (Bylaw 1330) establishes these fees to support Metro Vancouver in delivering the service of regional air quality management.

Proposed amendments

Potential amendments to this bylaw aim to provide clarity to permittees, balance cost recovery and environmental protection, consider affordability, and align with federal and provincial legislation. The four main proposed amendments are described in a discussion paper, discussion paper summary, and info below.

Clarify the calculation of emission fees for multi-category air contaminants	Clarify the calculation of emission fees for multi-category air contaminants	<div class="ExternalClass2E5B103E8C0442D685A57A6DCFC0609F"><p>The proposed amendments would clarify that when an air contaminant meets the definition of more than one category, the highest applicable emission fee rate would apply. This approach would support consistency and align fees with the most significant potential impacts of emissions.<br></p></div>
Reduce fee rates for odorous air contaminants and clarify how fees are calculated	Reduce fee rates for odorous air contaminants and clarify how fees are calculated	<div class="ExternalClass1CDE52B0DB1B4B1B9F2AC858350E0B52"><p>The proposed amendments would reduce fee rates and clarify that if there is a permit limit for an odorous air contaminant, fees are based on that limit, otherwise they are based on measurements. Extending the use of the 2024 emission fee rate for Total Reduced Sulphur compounds is also proposed until 2026, with a phased increase over time. These fee rates would continue to encourage emissions reduction in coordination with how Metro Vancouver manages odorous air contaminants in current issued permits and approvals. This will maintain fairness and predictability for businesses subject to emission fees.<br></p></div>
Reduce maximum fees for applications for authorization, and apply interest on overdue payments	Reduce maximum fees for applications for authorization, and apply interest on overdue payments	<div class="ExternalClassF8C5BD37D9D7450D819CFC1A95C700C4"><p>The proposed amendments would introduce a limit of $450,000 on application fees for businesses applying for authorization to discharge air contaminants. This limit reflects the historical effort to process large, complex facilities’ applications for permits or approvals.</p><p>The proposed amendments would also introduce a provision to charge interest on overdue payments, consistent with provisions under other Metro Vancouver bylaws.<br></p></div>
Update definitions	Update definitions	<div class="ExternalClass5E881C61E98A4DBFBDA39211625FC730"><p>The proposed amendments would update definitions in the bylaw to align with recent changes to federal and provincial legislation. This includes refining definitions for hazardous air pollutants (HAP), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and other air contaminants. The bylaw would also be updated to reflect recent changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the BC Public Notification Regulation. The definition of “minor amendment” to permits and approvals will reflect changes to that definition in the revised BC Public Notification Regulation.<br></p></div>

Research was conducted to gauge public opinion about how air quality management services should be funded. The findings of this research were that a majority of respondents (80%) believed that businesses emitting pollutants should pay most or all of the costs for regulating those emissions. Furthermore, the vast majority (92%) felt that fees should be scaled in accordance with the amount and degree of harm of the pollutants discharged.

A May 2025 report for the MVRD Board provides further information. Staff will consider feedback and present refined proposed amendments, together with a summary of input and how it was considered, to the MVRD Board in late 2025. If adopted, implementation would proceed in 2026 or sooner if feasible.

Engagement

Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback through the online feedback form, webinar series, discussions, and correspondence. Potential amendments are being refined based on input from the engagement, research, alignment with leading jurisdictions, and consideration of current economic conditions.

Your input matters:

Your feedback will help shape an effective and practical bylaw
Your experience will help identify feasible solutions and reasonable regulatory fees

Comments or questions are welcome:

Email
604-432-6200

Resources

Discussion Paper	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/air-quality-permit-fee-change-discussion-paper.pdf, Discussion Paper	Discussion Paper
Discussion Paper Summary	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/air-quality-management-fees-discussion-paper-summary.pdf, Discussion Paper Summary	Discussion Paper Summary
Public Opinion Research	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/air-quality-fees-survey-2020.pdf, Public Opinion Research	Public Opinion Research
Health Effects Study	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/health-impact-scale-for-air-quality-improvements-in-the-canadian-lower-fraser-valley-airshed.pdf, Health Effects Study	Health Effects Study
June 25 2025 Webinar Presentation	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/webinar-presentation-proposed-amendments-to-air-quality-management-fees-bylaw.pdf, June 25 2025 Webinar Presentation	June 25 2025 Webinar Presentation
July 9 2025 Webinar Presentation	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/Documents/webinar-presentation-proposed-amendments-to-air-quality-management-fees-bylaw-2025-07-09.pdf, July 9 2025 Webinar Presentation	July 9 2025 Webinar Presentation

Air Quality Regulatory Program	https://metrovancouver.org/services/environmental-regulation-enforcement/air-quality-regulatory-program, Air Quality Regulatory Program	Air Quality Regulatory Program
Clean Air Plan	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/clean-air-plan, Clean Air Plan	Clean Air Plan
Climate 2050	https://metrovancouver.org/services/air-quality-climate-action/climate-2050, Climate 2050	Climate 2050
Metro Vancouver Regional District Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1330, 2021	https://metrovancouver.org/boards/Bylaws/MVRD_Bylaw_1330.pdf, Metro Vancouver Regional District Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1330, 2021	Metro Vancouver Regional District Air Quality Management Fees Regulation Bylaw No. 1330, 2021
Report for the MVRD Board – May 2025	https://metrovancouver.org/boards/GVRD/RD-2025-05-23-AGE.pdf#page=160, Report for the MVRD Board – May 2025	Report for the MVRD Board – May 2025

Proposed Amendments to Air Quality Management Fees Bylaw