Environmental compliance in B.C.

The B.C. government creates and applies laws that protect our environment and community health and safety. Our compliance and enforcement activities ensure these laws are being followed.

Environmental compliance, or regulatory compliance, refers to adherence to these laws. 

Environmental enforcement is the set of actions that government takes to ensure compliance with these laws.

On this page

• Our responsibility
• Your responsibility
• Environmental Management Act and its regulations
• Integrated Pest Management Act and its regulation
• Related topics

​Our responsibility

Under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) and the Integrated Pest Management Act (IPMA) and their regulations, environmental protection officers and other government officers are authorized to:

• Check that the law is being complied with
• Use compliance tools to address non-compliance

Your responsibility

Discharging waste to the environment or doing an activity that is regulated under environmental laws may require an:

• authorization
• approval
• permit

Or may be subject to an:

• order
• other legal directive

It's your responsibility to find out if any of these is needed and meet all legal requirements. Even if your discharge to the environment or activity doesn't need an authorization, you are still responsible for ensuring that you do not cause pollution.

If you do have an authorization, permit, approval, order or other legal directive, there may also be requirements to submit reports and report non-compliances.

EMA and its regulations

The Environmental Management Act (EMA) is: 

• The main law that regulates industrial, commercial and municipal waste discharges, pollution, hazardous waste and contaminated site remediation in BC
• Supported by its regulations and codes of practice that have rules that must be followed

Review the full list of regulations and codes of practice under the EMA.

For a full list of activities, discharges that require authorizations administered under EMA, see Waste discharge authorizations.

IPMA and its regulation

The Integrated Pest Management Act (IPMA) is:

• The key law that governs the use, storage, sale and transport of pesticides in B.C.
• Supported by the Integrated Pest Management Regulation (IPMR) which governs pest management in B.C.

See Pesticides and pest management to learn more about:

• Regulatory requirements
• Activities that require authorization

Related topics