CEPA 2016 Proposed Environmental Emergency Regulations
On October 8, the Department of the Environment published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, proposed Environmental Emergency Regulations, 2016, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The proposed Regulations will repeal and replace the current Environmental Emergency Regulations, which were last amended in 2011.
Key changes in the proposed Regulations include:
- the addition of 49 new substances to Schedule 1 and amendment of the thresholds for 3 existing substances;
- a clarification of the requirements for exercising an E2 Plan;
- a consolidation of substances into a single list;
- the inclusion of uncontained substances;
- a definition of a container system;
- clarifications for the requirements regarding public notifications before, during and after an environmental emergency; and
- modifications to reporting requirements including periodic reporting to ensure an up-to-date database is available for departmental officials and first responders.