Canadian Coatings Regulations

A recent report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce quoted a Government of Canada study revealing that in 2015 there were 131,754 federal regulatory requirements imposing an administrative burden on businesses, up from 129,860 in 2014. According to the Chamber of Commerce the escalating regulations, “have reduced the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian firms while making Canada less attractive to foreign investment.”

Relevant Acts and regulations in Canada for the paint and coatings industry are noted below. There are also many regulations or amendments to regulations being considered for development under the Chemicals Management Plan currently assessing more than 5,000 substances, out of more than 1530, used in product formulations for paint and coatings products sold in Canada. The process of chemical assessment and risk management of chemicals has never been more complex or challenging than it is in Canada today as the graphic below illustrates.

Canadian Paint and Coatings Regulations

Proposed CEPA Regulations

Other Instruments – Notices & Codes of Practice

Under CEPA, there are a number of other instruments that are important for regulatees to bear in mind. They include Pollution Prevention Planning Notices, Significant New Activity Notices and Codes of Practice.

Pollution Prevention Planning (P2 Planning) notices: these notices legally require regulatees to prepare and implement a pollution prevention plan for a specific type of substance or activity.

Significant New Activity notices (SNAcs): a notice issued to ensure that adequate additional information is provided by anyone who intends to manufacture, import, or use a substance for a new activity, so that the activity's potential risks to environmental and human health can be assessed.

Codes of Practice: These codes give industries and regulators clear direction on how to reduce emissions, effluents, and wastes. Such tools are not law, but may form the basis for laws and regulations.

Forward Regulatory Plan: This plan provides information on regulatory proposals that Environment and Climate Change Canada expects to bring forward over the next two years. It also identifies public consultation opportunities and a departmental contact point for each regulatory initiative.

Canadian Paint and Coatings Regulations

2-Butoxyethanol Regulations

Environmental Emergency Regulations

Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations

Export of Substances on the Export Control List Regulations

Masked Name Regulations

Multi-sector Air Pollutants Regulations

New Substances Fees Regulations

New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers)

New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms)

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and its Salts and Certain Other Compounds Regulations

Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations

Phosphorus Concentration Regulations

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Regulations

Products Containing Mercury Regulations

Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012

Regulations Designating Regulatory Provisions for Purposes of Enforcement (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999)

Release and Environmental Emergency Notification Regulations

Solvent Degreasing Regulations

Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulations

Fisheries Act Regulations

Virtual Elimination List

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Architectural Coatings Regulations

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Automotive Refinishing Products Regulations

Proposed CEPA Regulations

Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under Sections 140, 209 and 286.1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Regulations Amending the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations

Regulations Amending the Export of Substances on the Export Control List Regulations

Regulations Amending the Off-Road Small Spark-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations

Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Certain Products Regulations

Other Instruments – Notices & Codes of Practice

Under CEPA, there are a number of other instruments that are important for regulatees to bear in mind. They include Pollution Prevention Planning Notices, Significant New Activity Notices and Codes of Practice.

Pollution Prevention Planning (P2 Planning) notices: these notices legally require regulatees to prepare and implement a pollution prevention plan for a specific type of substance or activity.

Significant New Activity notices (SNAcs): a notice issued to ensure that adequate additional information is provided by anyone who intends to manufacture, import, or use a substance for a new activity, so that the activity's potential risks to environmental and human health can be assessed.

Codes of Practice: These codes give industries and regulators clear direction on how to reduce emissions, effluents, and wastes. Such tools are not law, but may form the basis for laws and regulations.

Forward Regulatory Plan: This plan provides information on regulatory proposals that Environment and Climate Change Canada expects to bring forward over the next two years. It also identifies public consultation opportunities and a departmental contact point for each regulatory initiative.