New Brunswick's Clean Air Act - Glossary

- O -

Off-Site Receptors. The receptors or receivers that are located adjacent to the site of a source and may be impacted upon by contaminant releases from the source site.

Off-Spec Material. A material that does not meet the specifications outlined for that product.

Oil Mist Eliminator. An air pollution control device which uses a glass fibre wool to collect the oil mist in the air waste stream which consists of oil mists (textile industry). The performance is largely dependent on the cooling of the air waste stream prior to entering the control device.

Opacity. Refers to the degree by which contaminant emissions (mostly particulate) in an air waste stream reduces the transmission of light by various associated absorbing and light scattering properties of the particulate. A direct measure of the blackness of an air waste stream. Measured visually by trained observers or electronically by an opacity monitor.

Opacity Monitor. Is a form of continuous emission monitoring that measures the opacity of the air waste stream. Also see Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM).

Open Stopes. Any subterranean extraction of ore except that which is incidentally performed in sinking shafts or driving levels for the purpose of opening the mine. In another context refers to excavate ore in a vein by driving horizontally upon it a series of workings, one immediately over the other, or vice versa. Each horizontal working is called a stope because when a number of them are in progress, each working face under development assumes the shape of a flight of stairs.

Operator. When used with reference to a source, means the person who controls the operation of a source and includes the occupier of the real property upon or in which the source is located.

Order. Unless otherwise indicated, means an order made under subsection 17(1) of the Clean Air Act. Generally, requires corrective action of a particular environmental problem in a manner specified by the order.

Organic Halogen. Any of the elements of the halogen family: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine when combined with an organic chemical. They combine with organic compounds to form a multitude of useful products, among which are fluorocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons and plastics of various kinds. They are classified as non-metals and are less apt to catch fire, explode or corrode tanks and pipelines than nonhalogenated organic solvents.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB). A type of board manufactured that has alternating layers of strands of wood fibre oriented along the longitudinal axis then another layer along lateral axis. The alternating layers of fibre continue until the desired thickness of board is produced. This type of board results in a very high tensile strength board.

Orimulsion^TM J. A patented natural emulsified Bitumen liquid fuel containing approximately 30% water, 3% sulphur and 0.3% ash by weight. The fuel is injected into boilers where it produces heat from combustion of the fuel.

Oxidation. The combination of oxygen with a substance or the removal of hydrogen from it, or, more generally, any reaction in which an atom loses electrons. A typical example of a common oxidation reaction is the combustion reaction.

Ozone Depleting Substance. A substance that, after being released into the environment, can alone or in combination with other substances, deplete the ozone in the stratosphere and includes a substance that is (a) a Class I ozone depleting substance that is listed in Schedule A of the Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation, or (b) a Class II ozone depleting substance that is listed in Schedule B of the Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation.

Ozone Depletion Potential. A common term used when referring to an ozone depleting substance. The quotient obtained by dividing the mass of stratospheric ozone that would be destroyed by a unit mass of the substance if it were introduced into the environment, by the mass of stratospheric ozone that would be destroyed by the same unit mass of fluorotrichloromethane if it were introduced into the environment. It is a relative measure of the ability of a particular ozone depleting substance to destroy ozone.