Appendices

Appendix A: Ministry of Environment Glossary

airshed: geographical areas in which air quality is a function of the same sources, weather and topography.

ambient air or water quality: the overall or general condition of air or water in a region outside the zone of influence of discharges — in contrast to local condition, which may be related to a specific source of contamination.

baseline: an actual result or a composite of an organization's past performance in a particular area that can be used to set future targets, or for comparison to other organizations. A baseline provides a starting point against which future progress can be assessed.

B.C. water quality guidelines: guidelines developed in B.C. that provide benchmarks for the assessment of water quality. If a substance concentration is lower than the concentration indicated in the guideline, generally speaking, a water quality problem for that particular substance is non-existent; however, if the substance concentration exceeds its guideline, an assessment of the water quality is warranted.

benchmarking: a process of continuously comparing and measuring an organization or aspects of an organization against sector/industry leaders, with the objective of gaining information that will help the organization take actions and make changes to improve its performance.

brownfield: an idle or underused property where past activities have caused environmental contamination but which exhibit good potential for other uses and provide economically viable business opportunities.

coal bed gas: natural gas found in underground coal deposits. The gas is contained within the coal seam where it is absorbed or attached to the coal particles. During production, water is pumped out of the coal seams lowering the pressure thus releasing the gas to be collected and sent to market.

compliance: conformity with regulatory requirements established by government to protect the environment, human health and safety.

ecosystem: organisms of a natural community, together with their physical, chemical and biological environment.

Fisheries Sensitive Watershed (FSW): a designation under the Forest and Range Practices Act. To qualify as an FSW candidate, watersheds must meet two criteria: significant fisheries values and watershed sensitivity. More information can be found at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/fsw/index.html.

greenhouse gases: gases that play a part in the greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide (CO₂, the most significant greenhouse gas), methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour, CFCs and other trace gases.

industry-led product stewardship: places the responsibility for end-of-life product management on those who produce, distribute, sell or use products or containers listed under the B.C. Recycling Regulation.

low level ozone: Also called ground level ozone. A bluish gas with a pungent odour. At ground level, ozone is formed by chemical reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the presence of sunlight. VOCs and NO₂ are released by burning coal, gasoline and other fuels, and are naturally released by plants and trees.

mountain pine beetle: the mountain pine beetle epidemic in B.C. is the largest forest insect infestation in Canada's history. The beetle prefers mature timber and is affecting lodge pole pines of 80 years or more.

nitrate: an essential plant nutrient found in fertilizers and which may be produced during the breakdown of organic wastes. Excessive fertilizer application, improper agricultural waste management or underground septic tanks may increase nitrate levels in groundwater. Nitrates reduce the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Infants under six months are particularly at risk from drinking well-water containing excessive nitrates.

particulate matter (PM): fine liquid or solid particles (such as dust, smoke, mist fumes or smog) found in the air or emissions. Also known as particulates.

pollution prevention hierarchy: as follows in descending order of priority: reduce the environmental impact of producing the product by eliminating toxic components and increasing energy and resource efficiency; redesign the product to improve reusability or recyclability; eliminate or reduce the generation of unused portions of a product that is consumable; reuse the product; recycle the product; recover material or energy from the product; otherwise dispose of the waste from the product in compliance with the Environmental Management Act.

PM_2.5: a measure of particulate matter under 2.5 microns. Recent studies have shown that particles of 2.5 microns or less (PM_2.5) pose the greatest health risk. A particle of 2.5 microns is about 1/20th the width of a human hair.

protected areas: refers to parks, recreation areas, ecological reserves and designations under legislation for which the Ministry of Environment is responsible. They include:

• Class A parks established under the Park Act or by the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.
• Class B and C parks and recreation areas established under the Park Act.
• Ecological reserves established under the Ecological Reserve Act or by the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.
• "protected areas" and other conservation-oriented designations established under the Environment and Land Use Act that are managed by the Environmental Stewardship Division, Ministry of Environment.

species at risk: species at risk means endangered, extirpated or threatened.

stewardship: stewardship refers to the concept of responsibly managing natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations and encouraging the active participation of persons or groups, including citizens, communities, government and industry.

ungulate: a hoofed mammal such as a caribou, moose, bison or goat.

Ungulate Winter Range (UWR): an area that contains habitat that is necessary to meet the winter habitat requirements of an ungulate species. UWRs are based on our current understanding of ungulate habitat requirements in winter, as interpreted by the Ministry of Environment regional staff from current scientific and management literature, local knowledge, and other expertise from the region. For more information, please visit http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/uwr/index.html.

watershed: an entire area that is drained by a waterway or that drains into a lake or reservoir. Also referred to as a water basin.

Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs): mapped areas of Crown land containing critical habitat, such as breeding, feeding and denning habitat, crucial to identified wildlife. WHAs help protect species and plant communities at risk by specifying mandatory practices called general wildlife measures.

Appendix B: Ministry of Environment Organizational Chart

The Ministry of Environment currently has seven divisions to support the programs, services, and initiatives carried out by its six core business areas. The Strategic Policy Division and Corporate Service Division are represented as one core business area under Executive and Support Services. The figure below shows the ministry's organizational structure and the main responsibilities for each division. For a more detailed overview of core business area responsibilities, see the Core Business Areas section of this report.

LINK TO LARGER VERSION

Appendix C: Ministry of Environment
Risk Management Framework

The government defines risk as the uncertainty that surrounds future events and outcomes, such as those mentioned in this Service Plan. Managing adverse events that could influence ministry progress requires planning — identifying and taking action to minimize the likelihood of risk and the consequences should an event occur.

All core business areas within the ministry address risk in the development, monitoring and implementation of their initiatives, regulations, services and programs. For example, protecting the health of British Columbians and taking a leadership role in environmental stewardship requires programs to clearly identify, assess and undertake activities to mitigate potential risks related to water quality, air quality, contaminated sites and managing species at risk.

In addition, the ministry has a diverse set of proactive planning approaches in which risk is identified, assessed and management strategies are developed and implemented. Some examples are described below.

Ministry Audit and Risk Management Committee: This Executive-level committee ensures audits are undertaken as a result of a risk-based prioritization model. Audits may include financial management, information systems reviews, and compliance audits (contractual, regulatory and legislative).

Program Evaluation and Business Reviews: Program evaluations and cross ministry business reviews are undertaken by the ministry. Results are analyzed and corrective activities are incorporated into business planning and decision-making.

Financial Risk Management (FRM): FRM, with respect to managing the ministry's budget, includes planning, quarterly reporting, balance reviews and variance analysis. Financial policies and procedures in accordance with the Financial Administration Act, including contract management, are continually updated and communicated through training programs. Ministry transfer payments are monitored and audited for policy compliance. FRM is also supported through the ministry's Audit Plan.

People Planning Committee: This cross ministry committee researches issues and develops effective human resource strategies to address future risks associated with workforce needs and succession planning.

Business Continuity Management Program (BCMP): The BCMP is an integral part of the ministry's risk management approach. The ministry is responsible for identifying risk events and analyzing their impact on the operations of the ministry. The ministry's Business Continuity Plan is developed and implemented to ensure availability of ministry services, programs and operations should an event occur, and the timely resumption of services in the event of a major failure, emergency or disaster.

Structured Decision-Making (SDM): The SDM process is used to consider uncertainty and consequences in the evaluation of alternative management policy options. SDM allows decision-makers to make "risk" trade-offs based on a better understanding of the technical information and the values and risk tolerance of stakeholders.

Government continues to be called upon to anticipate and address new and emerging risks, as well as potential opportunities. Most issues relating to the environment are complex and have profound implications for both the environment and society. Science plays an important role in effective environmental decision-making. Ministry decision-making processes are informed by the best available science, supported through adaptive management¹² processes and depend on the sound and rigorous judgement of knowledgeable and professional staff.

Appendix D: Ministry of Environment Office Locations

Appendix E: List of Legislation Administered
by the Ministry of Environment

The legislation below, in alphabetical order, is currently administered by the Ministry of Environment:¹³

• Beaver Lodge Lands Trust Renewal Act
• College of Applied Biology Act
• Commercial River Rafting Safety Act (only some sections relating to safety inspections and enforcement remain in force)
• Creston Valley Wildlife Act
• Dike Maintenance Act
• Drainage, Ditch and Dike Act
• Ecological Reserve Act
• Environmental Assessment Act
• Environmental Management Act
• Fish Protection Act
• Hunting and Fishing Heritage Act
• Industrial Operation Compensation Act
• Integrated Pest Management Act
• Land Title Act (s. 219 only, insofar as it relates to the portfolio of the Minister)
• Ministry of Environment Act (all except s. 4 (2) (d))
• Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing Act (ss. 3(4), 5(b), 6 and 9, insofar as they relate to the portfolio of the Minister)
• Okanagan River Boundaries Settlement Act
• Park Act
• Protected Areas of British Columbia Act
• Skagit Environmental Enhancement Act
• Sustainable Environment Fund Act
• Water Act
• Water Protection Act
• Water Utility Act
• Wildlife Act