Timeline: pollution prevention milestones

The Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations were created under the Fisheries Act. These Regulations were designed to limit the deposit of deleterious substances into waters frequented by fish from mills.

The Canada Water Act created the basis of federal-provincial agreements with reference to water management, and to water quality and quantity monitoring and research that led to the creation of the Canada Water Inland Center.

The Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act came into force, banning the deposit of waste in Arctic waters.

The Environmental Assessment and Review Process was introduced to ensure that new federal projects and activities were evaluated early in the planning process for potential negative environmental effects.

The Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations were created under the Fisheries Act. These Regulations were designed to limit the deposit of deleterious substances into waters frequented by fish from new, expanded and reopened metal mines.

Canada signed the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. It was the first international agreement to recognize and reduce cross-border air pollution as a contributing factor to acid rain. The Convention’s geographic scope spans from the Russian Federation in the east, to Canada and the United States in the west.

The Leaded Gasoline Regulations were amended, further limiting the amount of lead in gasoline sold in Canada.

An Agreement between the Governments of Canada and the United States of America concerning the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste was signed, reducing potential threats to the environment and public safety during transportation.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) is proclaimed. The Act superseded the Environmental Contaminants Act and subsumed the Clean Air Act, the Ocean Dumping Control Act, part of the Canada Water Act, and part of the Department of the Environment Act. These changes reflected the need for a comprehensive approach for dealing with protection of human health and the environment.

To protect our waterways, Canada published the Concentration of Phosphorus in Certain Cleaning Products Regulations limiting the amount of phosphorus in laundry detergents, dishwashing soap and household cleaners. Phosphate restrictions in detergents were first introduced in 1972.

The Gasoline Regulations were introduced, establishing stricter limits for lead in gasoline. This measure effectively removed lead from the vast majority of gasoline used in on-road vehicles in Canada.

The Northern Contaminants program was created to address long range air deposition on northern environments and support environmental action in the North involving northern communities and governments.

The Toxic Substances Management Policy is adopted as a federal policy guiding actions on the management of chemical substances in all federal programs.

The Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations were published, prohibiting the manufacture, use, sale, or import of multiple substances, and products containing them, with a limited number of exemptions.

Canada signed the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities for the import of hazardous chemicals.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA 1999) was passed. Pollution prevention became the cornerstone of the Act with new authorities to conduct studies, increase transparency and allow greater citizen participation. The Act also included a more rigorous process to assess and manage substances and new powers to regulate vehicle, engine and equipment emissions. The CEPA Environmental Registry was launched in March 2000.

New Policy Framework for Environmental Performance Agreements was endorsed by the Minister of the Environment. This policy framework set out the principles and design criteria that are essential to make voluntary agreements both effective and credible. Since 2001, ECCC has signed over 20 of these agreements.

Environment Canada negotiated and signed the first Environmental Performance Agreement under the new Framework with Dow Chemical. The objective of the agreement was to implement a management strategy for 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) to minimize emissions at production and distribution facilities.

The first Code of Practice under CEPA 1999 was published in December 2001. This code of practice recommended best practices to control and minimize the releases of certain toxic substances from integrated steel mills. It is still in effect today.

The Sulphur in Diesel Fuel Regulations and the Sulphur in Gasoline Regulations came into force. These regulations and their subsequent amendments have resulted in significant environmental and health benefits by reducing sulphur oxide emissions from the combustion of fuels.

Environment Canada partners with Health Canada on the Pest Control Products Act to research, monitor, and create national guidelines for pesticides in the environment.

Canada publishes the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations to reduce tetrachloroethylene releases to the environment from dry cleaning facilities.

Canada publishes the first Pollution Prevention Planning Notice (section 56 of CEPA 1999) to reduce the releases and waste of acrylonitrile from the manufacture of synthetic rubber.

The Stockholm Convention came into force. Canada was the first country to sign and ratify this global agreement aimed at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants.

The New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers) and the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) came into force. These regulations were created to ensure that no new substance (chemicals, polymers or organisms) are introduced into the Canadian marketplace before undergoing ecological and human health assessments.

The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan was launched. This $4.5 billion, 15 year program was designed to reduce environmental and human health risks from known federal contaminated sites and associated federal financial liabilities, while focusing on the highest priority sites. It was recently renewed for another 15 years (2020-2035).

The PCB Regulations came into force to protect the health of Canadians and the environment and prevent the release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the environment.

Two new regulations are introduced setting concentration limits for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions, a known pre-cursor to smog:

• VOC Concentration Limits for Architectural Coatings Regulations – for paints, stains and varnishes
• VOC Concentration Limits for Automotive Refinishing Products Regulations

Canada’s first greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions vehicle regulations, the Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations are published, requiring vehicle manufacturers and importers to meet average GHG emission standards.

The Products Containing Mercury Regulations were published in Canada Gazette, Part II. These regulations prohibit the manufacture and import of products containing mercury or any of its compounds.

The Ozone-depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations were published. Canada put these regulations in place to implement its obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Canada ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury helping to bring the Convention into force. The Convention takes a life-cycle approach to the management of mercury.

The Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations were published. These Regulations prevent the release of plastic microbeads found in many products from washing down household drains and contributing to plastic pollution in our oceans, rivers and lakes.

The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the federal carbon pollution pricing system, came into force providing a federal backstop for provinces or territories that request it or fail to implement their own system consistent with federal standards.

Canada announced final regulations to phase-out traditional coal-fired electricity by 2030. Canada also published final greenhouse gas regulations for natural gas-fired electricity. By phasing out coal-fired electricity early, Canada strives to have 90 per cent of electricity from non-emitting sources by 2030.

Canada published the Prohibition of Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos Regulations as a part of the government-wide strategy to protect Canadians from exposure to asbestos by preventing new asbestos and asbestos-containing products from entering the Canadian market.

The Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) help fulfill Canada’s commitment to reduce emissions of methane from the oil and gas sector. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a precursor to ground-level ozone.

The Output-Based Pricing System Regulations are published. These Regulations provide an incentive to reduce emissions while reducing carbon leakage and competitiveness impacts from exposure to the fuel charge. They came into force on January 1, 2019 in Ontario, Saskatchewan (partially), Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and on July 1, 2019 in Yukon and Nunavut.

The CEPA 1999 New Substances program received and assessed its 20,000th new substance proposed to be manufactured or imported into Canada. New substances (chemicals, polymers or organisms) must undergo ecological and human health assessments before introduction into the Canadian marketplace.

Due to a violation of the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations, Volkswagen AG was ordered to pay an unprecedented $196.5 million fine after an investigation led by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Enforcement Branch.

Canada wraps up the third phase of the Chemicals Management Plan, largely completing its review of the 4300 substances identified as priorities. Canada's 2020 goal for sound management of chemicals agreed to at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development is achieved.

Plastic pollution can arise at all stages of the life-cycle and may pose a threat to human health and the environment. On January 1, the Basel Convention’s plastics waste amendments came into force in Canada.