Ontario · Environmental Protection Act
Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA)
The approval required before a business can release emissions or discharges into air, land or water, or store, transport or dispose of waste — one approval covering noise, emissions and discharges together.
- Formerly
- Certificate of Approvalrenamed ECA under the modernized system
- Issued by
- Ministry of the EnvironmentMECP
- Alternative
- EASR registrationfor lower-risk activities
- Coverage
- One approvalfor all relevant business activities
What an ECA is
In Ontario, any business is required to have a registration or environmental approval from the Ministry of the Environment if it releases pollutants into the air, land or water.
Some activities only require registration in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) online system, an instant approval pathway for lower-risk equipment and operations. Others are not eligible for EASR and require a full application for Environmental Compliance Approval instead.
One Environmental Compliance Approval is required to cover all of a business's relevant activities together, including noise, emissions, discharges, and any waste associated with sewage or air — rather than a separate approval for each source.
The Environmental Compliance Approval is formerly known as the Certificate of Approval (CofA); any CofA issued previously remains a valid ECA. We have successfully completed and obtained Environmental Compliance Approval applications for clients across a range of industries.
An existing ECA should be amended before a facility makes any process, operational or equipment change that affects what it emits or discharges — operating outside its terms is itself a compliance issue.
What an ECA covers
A single approval, addressing every relevant activity together.
Common questions
Environmental Compliance Approval Questions
When does a business need an ECA?
When it releases pollutants into the air, land or water, or stores, transports or disposes of waste, and its activities are not eligible for the faster Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) pathway.
What is the difference between an ECA and the EASR?
Both are compliance pathways under the same modernized system. Lower-risk activities can register instantly through the EASR; anything not eligible for EASR requires a full ECA application, which the Ministry reviews before granting approval.
Is an ECA the same as a Certificate of Approval?
Yes — Environmental Compliance Approval is the current name for what was formerly called a Certificate of Approval (CofA). Any CofA issued previously remains valid as an ECA.
Does one ECA cover everything a business does?
Yes. A single Environmental Compliance Approval is intended to cover all of a business's relevant activities together — noise, emissions, and discharges associated with sewage or air — rather than requiring a separate approval for each.
When does an existing ECA need to be amended?
Before a facility makes any process, operational or equipment change that affects what it emits or discharges. Operating outside the terms of a current ECA is itself a compliance issue.
Need an ECA Application Prepared?
Send us a description of your operations and we'll confirm whether ECA or EASR applies, then reply with a fixed quote, usually within one business day.