Ontario: Nutrient Management Regulation

The Ontario government yesterday amended regulations under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 relating to the land application and storage of non-agricultural source materials (NASM). The amendments require that the NASM meet certain metal concentration, pathogen content and odour standards. If the levels are exceeded, the material cannot be applied to farmland. Further, depending upon the quality of the material, some applications will be required to prepare a land application plan while others, such as sewage biosolids, will need to have the plan approved by OMAFRA. Generators of NASM will still need to meet Certificate of Approval requirements. The regulations also establish minimum setbacks from surface water, depth to bedrock and maximum application rates.