Reduction in the Release of Volatile Organic Compounds (Storage and Loading of Volatile Petroleum Liquids) Regulations (SOR/2025-88)

Total Loading Factor

• 1 The method to calculate the total loading factor of a facility for the previous calendar year is as follows:

  • (a) determine the highest vapour pressure and the highest benzene concentration of each volatile petroleum liquid loaded at the facility;

  • (b) for each volatile petroleum liquid and each loading recipient referred to in column 1 of Table 3 to this section, calculate the loading factor in accordance with the formula

    V ÷ (F_benz × F_VP × F_load × 25 000)

    where

    V

    is the volume of the volatile petroleum liquid loaded, as calculated in accordance with the method set out in paragraph (c),

    F_benz

    is the value set out in column 2 of Table 1 to this section for the benzene concentration determined under paragraph (a),

    F_VP

    is the value set out in column 2 of Table 2 to this section for the vapour pressure determined under paragraph (a), and

    F_load

    is the value set out in column 2 of Table 3 to this section for the loading recipient referred to in column 1;

  • (c) determine the volume of each volatile petroleum liquid, in standard m³, that was loaded without the use of a vapour control system during the previous calendar year, taking into account the following modifications, if applicable:

    • (i) if no volatile petroleum liquid was loaded at the facility during the previous calendar year, the volume that is expected to be loaded during the current calendar year must be determined,

    • (ii) if 30% or more of the total volume of liquids loaded with the loading rack was switch loaded without the use of a vapour control system, the volume of any liquid switch loaded without the use of a vapour control system must be counted as the loading of a volatile petroleum liquid with F_benz equal to 2.4 and F_VP equal to 2.8,

    • (iii) if a loading rack was equipped with a vapour control system in accordance with section 42 during the previous or current calendar year, the volume of volatile petroleum liquid loaded with that loading rack is not included in the calculation of the volume, and

    • (iv) in the case of an exceptional event referred to under subsection 16(2), the volume loaded with the loading rack during the period in which the exceptional event caused the volume of volatile petroleum liquids loaded with the loading rack to increase may be replaced with the average volume loaded with that loading rack during the same period in the most recent year during which no such event occurred or, if data are not available for any such year, an estimate of the volume that would be loaded during the same period under normal operating conditions; and

  • (d) calculate the sum of the loading factors calculated under paragraph (b), which constitutes the facility’s total loading factor.

  Item	Column 1	Column 2
  	Benzene Concentration (% by weight)	Fbenz
  1	Less than 0.5	2.4
  2	0.5 to 1.0	1Footnote for TABLE 1 1
  3	1.1 to 2.0	0.6
  4	2.1 to 10.0	0.2
  5	Greater than 10	0.02

  • Return to footnote ¹Use F_benz = 1 for gasoline regardless of actual benzene concentration

  Item	Column 1	Column 2
  	Vapour Pressure (kPa)	FVP
  1	3.5 to 10.0	1
  2	10.1 to 35.0	2.8
  3	35.1 to 65	1Footnote for TABLE 2 1
  4	Greater than 65	0.4

  • Return to footnote ¹Use F_VP = 1 for gasoline regardless of actual vapour pressure

  Item	Column 1	Column 2
  	Loading Recipient	Fload
  1	Truck	1
  2	Railcar	1
  3	Ship or transport barge	1.5
  4	Vehicle other than truck, railcar, ship or transport barge	1
  5	Fixed roof tank	1

Maximum Daily Loading Factor

• 2 The method to calculate the maximum daily loading factor of a facility is as follows:

  • (a) determine the highest vapour pressure and the highest benzene concentration of each volatile petroleum liquid loaded at the facility;

  • (b) for each day in the previous calendar year, calculate the daily loading factor for each volatile petroleum liquid and each loading recipient referred to in column 1 of the table to this section in accordance with the formula

    V_D ÷ F_D

    where

    V_D

    is the daily volume of the volatile petroleum liquid, in standard m³, loaded to the loading recipient with a loading rack not equipped with a vapour control system in accordance with section 42, and

    F_D

    is the value set out in column 3 of the table to this section for the loading recipient set out in column 1 and the benzene concentration referred to in column 2;

  • (c) for each day in the previous calendar year, calculate the sum of the daily loading factors calculated under paragraph (b); and

  • (d) determine the highest value calculated under paragraph (c) for any day in the previous calendar year, which is the facility’s maximum daily loading factor.

  Item	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
  	Loading Recipient	Benzene Concentraton (% by weight)	FD
  1	Truck, railcar, fixed roof tank or vehicle other than ship or transport barge	(1) Less than 0.5	(a) 10 000 if vapour pressure is less than 35 kPa (b) 2 000 if vapour pressure is greater than or equal to 35 kPa
  		(2) 0.5 to 1.0	500Footnote for TABLE 1
  		(3) Greater than 1	30
  2	Ship or transport barge	(1) Less than 0.5	(a) 15 000 if vapour pressure is less than 35 kPa (b) 4 000 if vapour pressure is greater than or equal to 35 kPa
  		(2) 0.5 to 1.0	1 100Footnote for TABLE 2
  		(3) Greater than 1	50

  • Return to footnote ¹Use F_D = 500 for gasoline regardless of actual benzene concentration

  • Return to footnote ²Use F_D = 1 100 for gasoline regardless of actual benzene concentration