New Brunswick's Clean Air Act - Glossary

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Package Boiler. A boiler that includes the boiler and all associated ancillary equipment to burn fuel and produce low pressure steam or hot water for heating.

Panel Trim. The material associated with the activities of trimming panel board to meet specific size ranges of panel board.

Parameters. When used with reference to the operation of a source, means a value that is constant and characteristic of the source. For example stack parameters may include the diameter, exit velocity, volumetric flow, height, shape, and orientation.

Particle Board. Construction board made with wood particles impregnated with low-molecular-weight resin and then cured, trimmed and sometimes painted, or finished with melamine paper.

Particulate. A small, solid or liquid piece of matter that is easily lifted into the air, such as dust or ash. Smaller, fine particulates are more hazardous than larger course ones because they are more easily inhaled. Also see Particulate Matter and Total Suspended Particulate.

Particulate Control Equipment. Devices or methods used to absorb, collect, clean or control the amount of particulate that is released into the atmosphere. Methods include but are not limited to electrostatic precipitators, baghouse filters, cyclones and wet scrubbers.

Particulate Matter. Any material, except water in uncombined form, that is, has been or may become airborne and exists in liquid or solid form at standard conditions.

Particulate Testing. The collection, sampling or testing of fine solid particles, which remain individually dispersed in the air waste stream being emitted from the source. The purpose of the testing is to determine the emission rate or concentration of particulate matter in the air waste stream being emitted to the atmosphere, and to compare the emitted value with appropriate emission limits.

Performance Testing. Any testing or sampling performed to determine the release rate or the concentration of any air contaminant from any source, the concentration of a contaminant in the air or any other information that may be relevant in determining the environmental impact of a source.

Permitted Rate of Discharge. The rate of discharge of a contaminant from a source permitted by the Approval.

Pesticides Control Act. Administered by the New Brunswick Department of Environment, the Act and its Regulations provide for the certification of pesticide applicators and dispensers and the licensing of pest control services and pesticide vendors. It also provides the applications for permits to use pesticides on Crown Land and on private land that is used for transportation, public utility and some forestry purposes, as well as appeals against such permits.

Petroleum Pressure Vessel. A storage tank designed to operate at pressures greater than one hundred kilopascals above atmospheric pressure.

Petroleum Product. A mixture of hydrocarbons, or their by-products, of any kind and in any form, including airplane fuel, asphalt, bunker C oil, crude oil, diesel fuel, engine oil, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, lubricants, mineral spirits, petroleum based solvents regardless of specific gravity, transformer oil and waste petroleum products. Propane and paint are excluded.

Petroleum Product Storage & Handling Regulation. The Petroleum Product Storage & Handling Regulation - Clean Environment Act, being New Brunswick Regulation 87-97 under the Clean Environment Act. Regulates petroleum storage tanks and other systems to prevent their release to the environment.

Petroleum Storage Site. Refers to a site that has petroleum storage tanks that contain petroleum product in excess of a total accumulative volume of 2000 litres. Such sites must be registered under the Petroleum Product Storage and Handling Regulation.

Petroleum Storage Tanks. Tanks that store petroleum products and have certification from the Underwriters Laboratory of Canada (ULC). These tanks may be underground or aboveground. Also see Storage Tank System.

Phenol (C₆H₅OH). Organic compounds that are by products of petroleum refining, tanning and textile, dye and resin manufacturing.

Plant. Refers to all the properties, buildings, operations, and ancillary equipment associated with the manufacturing of products.

Plant Ore Feedrate. A unit of measure, which represents the amount of ore feed that comes off the conveyor into the processing mill at a mining complex. Measured in tonnes of ore feed per hour.

Platens. A flat plate against which something rests or is pressed.

Plume. A continuous stream of pollutants released into the atmosphere that typically first rise then bend over and travel with the mean wind direction and carry the pollutants away from the source. The plume is generated from a continuous output from an industrial facility. The behaviour of a plume is dependent upon a number of variables, which include but are not limited to, discharge rate, atmospheric stability, wind speed and distance downstream from the stack to the point of interest.

Plume Rise. The vertical distance that the plume travels straight upwards from the top of the stack. The amount of plume rise equals the vertical distance the plume travels after leaving the top of a stack until it becomes horizontal. Stack gas temperature, ambient air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric stability, and whether or not an inversion condition exists, influence amount of plume rise.

Pneumatic System. A system that uses compressed air to move process streams within the operation.

Point of Impingement. Refers to the location at which an air contaminant impacts ground level. Generally, this term is used in conjunction with concentration and is typically expressed as point of impingement concentration.

Point of Impingement Calculations. The calculations or computations that are completed to determine the concentration of an air contaminant at a specific point (receptor) where it may pass when being emitted at a specific concentration and location adjacent to the receptor. Also see Air Quality Dispersion Modelling, and Impingement.

Point Source. A stationary location or fixed facility from which contaminants are discharged to the environment (any single identifiable stationary source of contaminant). Examples include exhaust pipes and factory smokestacks.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Are the toxic chemical substances or any combination of substances that contain the biphenyl molecule that has been chlorinated to varying degrees. PCBs have been used extensively as liquid insulators in high-voltage transformers, because of their low flammability. Their use is being reduced due to evidence of their persistence and toxicity in the environment.

Potash. Generally referred to as potassium chloride (KCl). A soft, reddish, very reactive metallic compound that is widely distributed in the form of salts and is commonly used in fertilizers.

Potential for Adverse Impact. Having the ability to impair or damage the quality of the air and thus the environment, human health and safety, plant or animal life or property.

ppm. Parts per million. Units commonly used to express contamination ratios, as in establishing the maximum permissible amount of a contaminant in water, land or air. One part per million of a particular contaminant would equate to one molecule of the contaminant in one million molecules of air.

ppmv. Parts per million on a volume basis. Also see ppm.

Press. An apparatus for applying and maintaining pressure on an assembly of wood fibres or particles and adhesive in the manufacturing of paper, particle board and plywood. It may be operated mechanically or hydraulically and the platens may be cold or heated depending on the type of adhesive used. Also see Platens.

Press Exhaust Fans. Fans that are usually roof mounted, and located directly over the presses being used to compress the wood fibres and the adhesive material in the particle board industry. These exhaust fans will collect and emit most of the fugitive emissions associated with the pressing activities to the atmosphere.

Press Vents. See Press Exhaust Fans.

Pressurized Container. In the context of ozone depleting substances, a container intended solely to contain an ozone depleting substance under pressure, whether alone or in combination with another ozone depleting substance or other substance, whether or not the container is empty and whether or not a substance contained in it is under pressure, it includes a charging cylinder.

Primary Acidification Tank. A device used in the chemical pulping process referred to as the sulphite process. The tank contains the acidic cooking liquor that dissolves sulphur dioxide and forms bisulphite, depending on the base being used, at low pressure.

Primary & Secondary Clarifier Sludge. Sludges that are a result of the pulping of wood. Primary sludges consist largely of fibrous material from mill operations but may contain fillers and additives from chemical coagulation. Secondary sludges result from the biological treatment of mill effluents.

Probe. Generally, a stainless steel tube used for sampling of particulate matter and gaseous compounds in the air waste stream leaving an exhaust vent or smokestack. The probe is generally longer than the diameter of the vent or smokestack and is inserted through ports in the wall of the vent or smokestack (sampling port) where flow conditions are fairly constant. The probe is heated to prevent condensation of the air waste stream prior to sample collection. Also, the probe is sometimes equipped with a button-hook nozzle, pitot tube for point velocity measurements, and a thermocouple to monitor air waste stream temperatures.

Process Ventilation System. The associated ventilation system that is part of the process and is emitting an air waste stream directly or indirectly into the ambient air, continuously or intermittently, excluding building ventilation exhaust streams.

Product Screening Area. An area where a large sieve of suitably mounted wire, grate bars or perforated sheets are used to sort ore or aggregate according to grade or size. Typically, found in the Mining Industry.

Prohibited Plastic Foam & Rigid Insulation Foam. In the context of ozone depleting substances, foam manufactured using foaming agents that are ozone depleting substances, which are prohibited by the Minister.

Promulgated. When used with reference to the Regulations means that they may be made known by open declaration by Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Propane. A heavy, colourless, gaseous petroleum hydrocarbon gas. It is often used in liquefied form as a fuel.

Propellant. With respect to ozone depleting substances, means a gas or substance that can expel its contents once pressure from its container is released.

Property Line Concentration. The concentration of a contaminant collected and tested at the fence line or property line of the contaminant source.

Pro Rata Basis. When used in section 22 (6) of the Clean Air Act, means the Minister may enter into an agreement to share the proceeds of an insurance policy which will be distributed according to a certain rate, percentage or proportion. Provision in insurance policy to the effect that the insurer will not be liable for a greater proportion of any loss than the amount of the policy bears to the total amount of insurance on the property.

Prorated. With respect to section 27 of the Air Quality Regulation, means the act of adjusting, dividing or prorating fees for Approvals.

Protocols & Performance Specification for Continuous Emission Monitoring of Gaseous Emission from Thermal Power Generation. A document developed by Environment Canada to set procedures and specifications for continuous emission monitors being installed and operated for the purposes of measuring gaseous emissions at thermal power generating facilities.

Provincial Acid Deposition Program. A program administered by the New Brunswick Department of Environment, which involves collecting samples of rain, snow, surface water, and chemical properties of airborne particulate matter to monitor acid deposition occurring in numerous areas throughout the province.

Provincial Mobile Communications Centre. The co-ordinating agency used to handle 911 emergency calls in the Province. It receives calls regarding environmental emergencies and directs these calls to the Department of Environment.

Pulp Fibre. The processed cellulose fibres that are derived from wood, other plant material, or recycled paper products, which are found in particulate form.

Pulp & Paper Industry Emission Regulation. Pulp and Paper Industry Emission Regulation - Clean Environment Act. This regulation stipulated maximum allowable emission rates and concentrations for various contaminants and process units associated with the sulphate and sulphite pulping processes. This regulation has since been repealed.

Pulverisers. Are devices used for breaking down of solid lumps into a fine material by mechanical means.