Consultation on international harmonization updates to the TDG Regulations

Transport Canada is currently consulting on proposed amendments to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR).

TC regularly updates the Canadian regulations to harmonize, where possible, on the following:

• United Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN Recommendations)
• International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions (ICAO TI)
• International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code)
• Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations of the United States (49 CFR), under the Regulatory Cooperation Council work plan

Harmonization helps TC:

• ensure consistency between the different modes of transport;
• facilitate international trade of dangerous goods; and
• reduce regulatory burden on consignors and carriers who deal with dangerous goods in Canada.
   

Highlights of the proposed amendments

• Reducing regulatory barriers on cross-border trade with the United States by:
  • allowing U.S. placards when dangerous goods are reshipped by road or rail in Canada;
  • adopting the U.S. exemption for pressurized tanks used in water pump systems; and
  • introducing requirements to mark means of containment that carry non-odourized liquefied petroleum gases.

• Reducing the compliance burden on industry by:
  • allowing the display of reduced size labels on a cylinder such as “banana labels”; and
  • allowing the transportation of UN3175, SOLIDS CONTAINING FLAMMABLE LIQUID,  N.O.S. using flexible intermediate bulk containers 13H3 and 13H4.

• Referencing the 2018 version of Transport Canada Standard TP 14850E for small containers, which:
  • updates packing instructions to align with the 20^th edition of the UN Recommendations; and
  • allows the use of non-standardized containers that exceed 450 litres in volume to transport batteries.
•  Improving the communication of dangerous good hazards by:
  • requiring the display of the marine pollutant or lithium battery marks on overpacks; and
  • requiring the display of orientation arrows for liquid dangerous goods.

The amendments proposed are meant to align with the most recent changes in the UN Recommendations (20^th Revised Edition), ICAO TI (2019-2020) and IMDG Code (2018).

The 21^st Revised Edition of the UN Recommendations will be published in the spring or summer of 2019. Therefore, TC will include further proposals that take into account changes in this edition when the proposed amendment is pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

To view a copy of the consultation document, please click here. 

Please send your comments in writing to Transport Canada by May 27, 2019 to: 

Regulatory Affairs Branch
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Transport Canada
330 Sparks St.
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N5

E-mail: TDGRegulatoryProposal-TMDPropositionReglementaire@tc.gc.ca

The CPA would also like to receive a copy of your comments. Please send them to info@propane.ca.