Environmental emergencies: substance evaluations

The Environmental Emergencies (E2) Program has performed a hazard evaluation on 65 substances to determine which substances should be added to the Environmental Emergency Regulations. As a result of the hazard evaluation, 33 substances and classes of substances (a total of 41 substances) were found to have the potential to create environmental emergencies due to their significant risk to the environment and human life in the case of accidents, vandalism or terrorist acts. Based on this conclusion, these substances are being added to Schedule 1 of the Environmental Emergency Regulations through the 2011 Amendments to these Regulations. Short reports for the 41 substances have been written and published on the E2 website. Some of the substances have been grouped under one report due to their similar chemical properties. 

As part of Environment Canada’s mandate to protect Canadians and the environment, the E2 Program will continue to evaluate future substances that are added to Schedule 1 of CEPA 1999. The Program will also evaluate other substances of concern such as substances assessed under the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) in order to determine the risk they pose from an environmental emergency perspective. Future amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations may result in other substances being proposed for addition to the E2 Regulations or thresholds being adjusted when warranted by new scientific evidence.

Summary Reports of the Potential 2014-2015 Substances