Criterion: Air Quality and Noise
Identification of air emissions sources, air quality management plans with emissions controls, regular monitoring, and noise reduction plans where there are potential impacts on workers or communities.
Full Description
ENV05 Air Quality and Noise
Standard Section: 7.5 Category: Environmental Scheme: Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) Standard Version: 2.0 for Piloting (effective April 30, 2025)
Overview
Identification of air emissions sources, air quality management plans with emissions controls, regular monitoring, and noise reduction plans where there are potential impacts on workers or communities.
Requirements
The Facility shall:
- 7.5.1 Identify and maintain a documented inventory of all air emissions sources and types associated with Facility operations. For mobile emission sources the Facility shall also identify the fuel type and use for each source.
- 7.5.2 Establish and implement an air quality management plan that identifies the controls in place to prevent and mitigate risks of air emissions and noise levels in compliance with applicable laws. Air emission controls shall consider and address the entire area of potential impact as identified through aerial dispersion modeling. It is recommended that aerial dispersion modeling be completed as part of the baseline assessment.
- 7.5.3 Develop a documented air emissions reduction plan relative to baseline conditions.
- 7.5.4 Install, operate, and maintain emissions control equipment in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- 7.5.5 Put into place, clear controls / procedures that prohibit bypassing of air emissions control equipment, unless under emergency situations and in accordance with established procedures.
- 7.5.6 Conduct regular documented inspections, and maintenance, of emissions control equipment, including equipment monitoring and calibration, in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- 7.5.7 Conduct continuous monitoring of stack emissions and regular monitoring of ambient air within the Facility boundaries, around the perimeter of the site, and within affected communities.
- 7.5.8 Determine whether the Facility has potential to cause adverse impacts associated with elevated noise levels. If there is risk of potential of actual impacts to the environment, workers, or communities the Facility shall develop, and make available to affected stakeholders, a documented noise reduction plan and conduct regular monitoring of noise levels in relation to thresholds set forth in applicable laws.
Source: RMI Facility Standard for Social, Environmental, OHS and Governance Risks, Version 2.0 for Piloting (April 2025), Section 7.5
Profiles using this criterion
Responsible Minerals Assurance Process
Conformity Alignment
Meets
Pass: Yes
Definition: "Facility maintains a documented inventory of all air emission sources (including fuel type for mobile sources), has an air quality management plan with controls to ensure compliance with applicable laws, a documented emissions reduction plan, operates and maintains emissions control equipment per manufacturer specifications, has controls prohibiting bypass of control equipment, conducts regular documented inspections and calibration, performs continuous stack monitoring and regular ambient air monitoring including in affected communities, and has a noise reduction plan with regular monitoring where noise risks are identified."
Partially Meets
Pass: No
Definition: "Air quality management system exists but is incomplete: e.g., emission sources are identified but ambient monitoring does not cover affected communities, emissions reduction plan is absent, control equipment is installed but inspections are not documented, bypass controls are informal, or noise monitoring has not been conducted where noise impacts are identified."
Remediation: 180 days
Does Not Meet
Pass: No
Definition: "No documented inventory of air emission sources, no air quality management plan, no emissions control equipment where required, no monitoring of stack emissions or ambient air quality, or systematic bypass of emissions control equipment."
Remediation: 90 days
Priority
Pass: No
Definition: "A Priority finding may be raised for practices resulting in toxic air emissions that pose immediate risk to worker or community health, in alignment with the severe environmental damage conditions in Annex I of the Operations Manual."
Remediation: 30 days
Not Applicable
Pass: Yes
Definition: "This criterion may be not applicable to facilities with no significant air emission sources or noise impacts. The facility must document the rationale with evidence from baseline assessments."
Not Able To Assess
Pass: No
Definition: "The assessor was unable to access emissions monitoring records, control equipment maintenance logs, ambient air quality data, or conduct site inspections to verify controls."
Change Log
1.0.0 (2026-06-24)
Initial release.