Nova Scotia emissions agreement and chemical assessments

Summary#

The Department of the Environment published several notices in the Canada Gazette on December 7, 2019. They made available an equivalency agreement with Nova Scotia for greenhouse‑gas rules for electricity producers and released draft screening assessments that propose no further federal action, for a set of chemical substances listed below.

What it does#

• Makes available the Agreement on the Equivalency of Federal and Nova Scotia Regulations for the Control of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity Producers in Nova Scotia, 2020, and a report showing how public comments were handled. Both are posted on the department’s Environmental Registry as of December 7, 2019.
• Publishes draft screening assessments and proposed conclusions that the following substances do not meet the harmfulness test in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). Each item has a public comment chance (see “Who’s affected”):
  • Dicyclopentadiene (CAS RN 77-73-6)
  • Lotus corniculatus extract (CAS RN 84696-24-2)
  • Corn, steep liquor (CAS RN 66071-94-1) (often called CSL)
  • Propane, 1‑nitro- (1‑nitropropane) (CAS RN 108-03-2)
• Notes a public comment period of 60 days on the proposed “no further action” decisions for those chemical assessments.

Who's affected#

• Electricity generators, regulators, and government officials in Nova Scotia and federal regulators — they are the main parties affected by the equivalency agreement because it changes which rules apply to electricity producers in that province.
• Companies that make, import or use the listed substances: manufacturers of paints and coatings, petroleum feedstocks, automotive products (engine oil additives), cosmetics, antifreeze and de‑icing products, pest control formulants, animal feed suppliers, and makers of markers or nail‑brush cleaners.
• Consumers and workers who might be exposed to these substances through products or at sites such as gasoline stations, bulk fuel storage, or workplaces that use them.
• The notices are technical and broad; if you don’t work with these chemicals or in Nova Scotia’s electricity sector, you’re less likely to notice any immediate change.

Why it matters#

• For Nova Scotia electricity producers, the equivalency agreement means the province’s rules are accepted as matching federal requirements. That can reduce duplication and change which regulator companies deal with.
• The draft chemical assessments conclude that these substances do not currently need federal restrictions under CEPA. That means no new federal bans or controls are being proposed now, although the assessments document where exposure or hazards were considered.
• The assessments identify where people are most likely to encounter each substance (for example, gasoline vapours, engine oil additives, cosmetics, or antifreeze). They also note specific health or environmental concerns found in studies (for example, possible kidney or adrenal effects for dicyclopentadiene, or cyanide‑related concerns from some Lotus corniculatus phenotypes), but conclude margins of exposure are adequate under current uses.
• There is a short window (60 days) for affected parties or members of the public to comment if they disagree with the proposed conclusions or want to provide more data.