Risk Assessment & Toxicology Consulting Services
Due Diligence Risk Assessments (DDRAs) for Property Transactions and Lending
Even if a property is not subject to Ontario’s Brownfield Regulation (O. Reg. 153/04), a due diligence risk assessment (DDRA) may still be required for real estate transactions, purchase and sale agreements, or lender requirements. WOLF Environmental has over 30 years of experience conducting and reviewing risk assessments on a wide range of sites — from former service stations impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons to large-area properties with heavy metal contamination. Our DDRAs provide clear, actionable information to support your environmental due diligence.
Before conducting a DDRA, WOLF carefully reviews all available site information to assess data quality and identify any gaps critical to the assessment. Our evaluations typically focus on:
- Characterizing potential human health and/or ecological risks under current and future land uses; and,
- Identifying whether risk mitigation measures and/or additional investigations are necessary.
Unlike assessments under O. Reg. 153/04, DDRAs are flexible and site-specific. WOLF leverages a variety of recognized scientific approaches and regulatory guidance (federal, provincial, and the various U.S. source) to produce defensible, high-quality assessments tailored to your site and objectives.
Contact us today to discuss your site-specific DDRA and ensure your environmental due diligence is thorough, accurate, and defensible.
Toxicological Assessments for Ontario Air Approvals (O. Reg. 419/05 & O. Reg. 1/17)
Under Ontario Regulation 419/05 (Local Air Quality) and O. Reg. 1/17 (Air Emissions EASR), all contaminants released to air above negligible amounts must be evaluated for potential health effects. Facilities preparing Emission Summary and Dispersion Modelling (ESDM) reports for Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA) or EASR registrations rely on these assessments to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
The Air Contaminant Benchmark (ACB) List, maintained by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), provides screening levels, air standards, and guidelines for most contaminants. For chemicals without a standard, the MECP may require a Maximum Concentration Level Assessment (MCLA) or other toxicological evaluation to establish a defensible, health-based air benchmark.
WOLF Environmental specializes in toxicological assessments for chemicals without a standard, including MCLAs and health-based air benchmark derivation. Our experience in risk assessment, human health toxicology, and regulatory submissions ensures scientifically defensible evaluations that meet MECP expectations and keep your air approval projects moving efficiently.
Contact us today to discuss your specific toxicology or MCLA needs and ensure compliance under O. Reg. 419/05 and 1/17
Human Health Risk Assessment for Air Emissions
WOLF brings extensive expertise in human health risk assessments (HHRAs) of air emissions from commercial and industrial sources. These assessments are often required as part of a larger Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or in response to regulatory orders.
With 30 years of experience, our professionals have conducted screening-level and detailed multi-media risk assessments for a wide range of industrial sources, including but not limited to:
- Energy-from-waste facilities
- Landfill operations
- Refinery operations
- Mining and/or smelting operations
Whether you need a screening-level assessment focusing on indoor air quality or acute inhalation risks, or a detailed, multi-media, multi-receptor assessment evaluating acute and chronic risks across multiple exposure pathways, WOLF delivers high-quality, scientifically defensible assessments.
Our reports clearly communicate human health and environmental risks, helping clients meet regulatory requirements while supporting informed operational decisions.
Contact us today to discuss your site-specific human health risk assessment or air emission evaluation.
Support for Risk Assessments in Record of Site Condition (RSC) Filings
Under Ontario Regulation 153/04 (Record of Site Condition), Brownfield properties being redeveloped must meet strict environmental requirements. A Record of Site Condition (RSC) summarizes the environmental status of a property based on Phase One and Phase Two Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and, in some cases, a property-specific risk assessment (RA) prepared by a Qualified Person for Risk Assessment (QPRA). Once filed with the Environmental Site Registry, an RSC can reduce potential liability and mitigate future provincial orders for property owners, lenders, and municipalities.
Obtaining a compliant RSC using a risk assessment is a multi-step process that can take 6–18 months or more, depending on the complexity of the site and type of RA. Accurate and O. Reg. 153/04-compliant Phase One and Phase Two ESA reports are essential before developing the RA.
While WOLF does not conduct full RSC filings, we provide expert support in developing risk assessments that meet regulatory requirements. Our team can contribute to defensible, scientifically sound RAs and offer guidance to help ensure your RSC submissions are thorough and compliant.
Contact us to discuss how WOLF can support your property-specific risk assessment and RSC filing needs.
Standards Development & Toxicology Consulting
A robust scientific foundation is essential for developing standards that protect human health and the environment. Toxicology and risk assessment are critical to creating effects-based standards for air, soil, sediment, water, food, and consumer products.
With decades of experience, WOLF Environmental provides expert consulting, scientific review, and technical guidance to support the development and evaluation of regulatory standards. Our team has contributed to air quality standards under Ontario Regulation 419/05 and helped shape early risk assessment models that informed the creation of Ontario Soil Standards under O. Reg. 153/04.
WOLF works closely with clients to provide defensible, scientifically sound input on the methods used by regulatory agencies to develop health-based toxicity reference values and effects-based standards. Our services help ensure that your projects align with regulatory expectations and best practices.
Contact us to discuss how WOLF can support your standards development, regulatory review, or toxicity consulting needs..
Expert Scientific Support for Legal and Regulatory Matters
Leveraging years of experience providing scientific advice, technical reviews, and affidavits in legal proceedings, WOLF offers expert support in toxicology and human health risk assessment.
WOLF provides:
- Technical research and analysis to support regulatory or legal requirements;
- Independent expert opinions for environmental, health, and risk assessment matters; and,
- Affidavits and scientific documentation to support litigation or compliance cases
WOLF’s services help clients clarify complex scientific issues, strengthen their position in regulatory or legal contexts, and ensure that toxicology and human health assessments are defensible and scientifically sound.
Independent Third-Party Peer Review
Engaging an independent third-party review can help prevent regulatory delays and enhance the credibility of environmental or human health risk assessments.
WOLF delivers expert third-party reviews in toxicology and human health risk assessment, drawing on over 30 years of professional experience. WOLF also has extensive experience reviewing contaminated site risk assessments for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) under O. Reg. 153/04, ensuring that assessments are scientifically defensible and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Contact WOLF to discuss how a third-party review can strengthen your project and support timely regulatory approvals.