Environmental Emergency Regulations

These regulations aim to help reduce the frequency and severity of accidental releases of hazardous substances into the environment. Made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), they improve industry’s capacity to deal with environmental emergencies that may occur at fixed facilities across Canada. 

Application

These regulations require that any person who owns, has the charge, management or control of a regulated substance at or above certain quantities notify Environment and Climate Change Canada. For higher-risk facilities, an environmental emergency plan must also be prepared, brought into effect and exercised.

The Regulations

The Environmental Emergency Regulations, 2019 (the Regulations) were published in the Canada Gazette on March 6, 2019. They came into force on August 24, 2019.

Hazardous substances

Schedule 1 of the Regulations includes 249 substances that pose an acute hazard to the environment or to human health should an accidental release occur. There are six  hazard categories covered under the final regulations:  

• aquatically toxic
• combustible
• explosion hazard
• pool fire hazard
• inhalation hazard
• oxidizer that may explode

Fact sheets

• Overview of the Environmental Emergency Regulations, 2019
  
• Reporting system
• The use of an existing plan
• Public notification
• Major changes to the Regulations
  

Related information

• Environmental emergency regulations, 2019 on CEPA registry
  
• Environmental emergency regulations: filing a notice
• Reporting a spill or release
  
• List of hazardous substances
  
• Regional contacts
• Public spill reporting
  

Contact us

Environmental Emergencies Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Place Vincent Massey, 17th Floor
351 St-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3

Email: ec.ue-e2.ec@canada.ca