Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF MARCH 18, 2019
Canadian Federal News
The Federal Government has announced the intention to implement the Fuel Charge under the
Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. Effective April 1, 2019, the Fuel Charge will be applicable on
purchases and consumption of specified fossil fuels in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba,
Ontario and New Brunswick. The Fuel Charge, or the Federal Carbon Tax (“FCT”), will generally be
collected and remitted to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) by registered distributors.
RDC members operating in these jurisdictions are encouraged to register as a distributor to qualify for the exemptions using the Exemption Certificate Form L401 to avoid paying the taxes on solvent purchases intended for resale.
The Chemicals Management Plan Progress Report has been created to keep stakeholders and other interested parties up to date on the activities and programs related to Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan (CMP).
The Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health (the ministers) have assessed information in their possession in respect of the substance 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-[1,1-bis[[dimethyl[2-[3,3,3-trimethyl-1,1bis[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]disiloxanyl]ethyl]silyl]oxy]-3,3-dimethyl-3-[2-[3,3,3-trimethyl-1,1-bis[(trimethylsilyl) oxy]1-disiloxanyl]ethyl]-1-disiloxanyl]propyl ester, polymer with butyl 2-propenoate and methyl 2-methyl-2-propenoate, Chemical Abstracts Service Registry No. 262299-63-8, under section 83 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999;
- Draft Screening Assessment for DMPT published
Pursuant to section 68 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health have conducted a screening assessment of phosphonic acid, [[(phosphonomethyl)imino]bis[2,1-ethanediylnitrilobis(methylene)]]tetrakis-, hereinafter referred to as DTPMP. The Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number for DTPMP is 15827-60-8. This substance was identified as a priority for assessment on the basis of other human health concerns. Therefore, it is proposed to conclude that DTPMP does not meet any of the criteria under section 64 of CEPA.
Transport Canada will participate in the upcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) Editorial and Technical meeting (E&T 31) in London, United Kingdom, from April 1st to April 5th, 2019. The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss the next amendment of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). The IMDG Code is the international modal regulation for the transportation of dangerous goods by sea. Please send comments before March 25th to Jim Bird, Regional Director [email protected]
The deadline for responding to the notice is April 24, 2019, 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT).
A Government of Canada letter is available upon request for communicating with your foreign suppliers. This letter may be useful if you need to obtain information from your supply chain in order to complete your response to the notice.
The new measure will be available to parents, including adoptive or same-sex parents, for a child born or placed for the purpose of adoption on or after March 17, 2019—as long as they are eligible for and share their Employment Insurance parental benefits. When parents agree to do so, they will benefit from one of the following:
five additional weeks of parental benefits when choosing the standard option; or
eight additional weeks for those who choose the extended option.
On March 20, 2019, Health Canada will publish final regulations that allow for the public release of clinical information on drugs and medical devices. Clinical information is the data that companies provide (including active pharmaceutical ingredients) when requesting authorization of these products, and includes study reports and clinical trial results. These regulations are one of key transparency measures introduced under Vanessa’s Law.
The Competition Bureau published the final version of its revised Intellectual Property Enforcement Guidelines (IPEGs). The Bureau has carefully considered all comments and submissions it received after inviting feedback on the draft version of the revised IPEGs.
Canadian Provincial News
WorkSafeBC’s 2018–2020 High Risk Strategies and Industry Initiatives identify and target industries and employers with a high risk of serious workplace injury and a significant contribution to the serious injury rate. When we developed the strategies, we recognized that within the three-year time frame we would need to retain flexibility to add additional focus areas. The High Risk Strategies and Industry Initiatives pages have been updated with our areas of focus and deliverables and timelines for 2019.
Manitoba Infrastructure advises the climate zones for road restrictions will be updated in the Swan River area to maximize benefits to local industry. Effective immediately, zone one will be broken into two sub-zones (1A and 1B) while zones two and three remain the same.
US News
Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is a volatile chemical used in paint and coating removal products. In this final rule, EPA has determined that the use of
methylene chloride in consumer paint and coating removal presents an unreasonable risk of
injury to health due to acute human lethality. In order to address the unreasonable risk, EPA is
prohibiting the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of
methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal, including distribution to and by
retailers; requiring manufacturers (including importers), processors, and distributors, except for
retailers, of methylene chloride for any use to provide downstream notification of these
prohibitions; and requiring recordkeeping. While EPA proposed a determination of unreasonable
risk from the use of methylene chloride in commercial paint and coating removal, EPA is not
finalizing that determination in this rule. EPA is soliciting comment, through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, on questions related to a potential training, certification, and limited access program as an option for risk
management for all of the commercial uses of methylene chloride in paint and coating removal.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today released additional online resources for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders, employers, state driver licensing agencies, medical review officers, and substance abuse professionals regarding the upcoming implementation of its CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse in January 2020.
International News
The EC began a public consultation on February 11, 2019, on the evaluation of food contact materials (FCM). The purpose of the evaluation is to assess whether the current EU legislative framework for FCMs is fit for purpose and delivers as expected. The evaluation covers the functioning of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (Regulation) in its entirety and the rules and tools provided for by the legislation, such as specific implementing measures. It also examines the situation concerning materials for which there are no EU measures and which are subject to permitted national measures. The consultation targets all stakeholders groups with an interest in the FCM legislation.
Other Relevant Information
Safety Share
In reality, any substance can be a poison if it is improperly used, consumed, stored, or disposed of. For example, though vaping products are a less harmful alternative to cigarettes for smokers, some vaping liquids have enough nicotine to be poisonous, even in small amounts. This is especially true if the liquid is swallowed.
If you suspect that you or someone around you may have been poisoned, call a Poison Control Centre or 9-1-1 right away. You can find phone numbers for the Poison Control Centre nearest to you by searching Poison Control Centre + (your province or territory) on the Internet.
March 18, 2019 – As everybody’s favorite fire safety dog, Sparky the Fire Dog®, celebrates his 68th birthday on March 18, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding the public how critical is to take his fire safety messages seriously.
“Sparky is synonymous with fire safety and his messages are just as significant as they were when he was born, if not more significant as today’s homes burn faster than in previous decades,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. According to NFPA research, if you have a home fire today you are more likely to die than you were in 1980.
For more than six decades, the official NFPA mascot and spokesdog has worked hard to encourage awareness of actions people can take to make themselves safer from fire. For the past 68 years Sparky has done a great job at accentuating the importance of being vigilant about fire safety. His dogged determination has ultimately helped to elevate awareness, and reduce fire loss and injuries in North America and other parts of the world. Sparky aims to achieve even more.
Sparky was created by NFPA in 1951, and since then has helped fire professionals, teachers, civic organizations, corporations, and the media to deliver invaluable fire and life safety educational insights to children and adults.
As Sparky blows out the battery-operated candles on his birthday cake, consider these key safety messages:
- Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.
- Make a home escape plan. Draw a map of each level of the home. Show all doors and windows and point to the two ways out of each room.
- Plan and practice your escape drill with everyone in the home.
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