Interim Order: Vehicle Rules, Substances, Habitat

Summary#

This issue of the Canada Gazette publishes several government notices mostly from the environment and health areas. Key items include an Interim Order that changes how some vehicle emissions and greenhouse‑gas rules operate in Canada, an amendment that adds two substances to the Non‑domestic Substances List, a notice that critical habitat for the Nuttall’s Sheep Moth in two protected areas will get legal protection after 90 days, and final drinking‑water guidelines for radionuclides.

What it does#

• Interim Order Modifying the Operation of Certain Regulations Made Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  • Replaces Canada’s definition of “medium‑duty passenger vehicle” with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations meaning as it read on June 18, 2024.
  • Changes references in the Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations so that the gross vehicle weight rating threshold of 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) is read as 6,350 kg (14,000 pounds) for some definitions.
  • Says the Heavy‑duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations do not apply to trailers whose manufacture was completed on or after January 1, 2020.
  • Repeals an earlier interim order made January 31, 2025.
• Order 2025‑66‑11‑02 Amending the Non‑domestic Substances List
  • Adds CAS number 157707‑72‑7 to Part I.
  • Adds CAS number 19796‑4 and the substance name Alkenoic acid‑, alkyl ester, reaction product with glycerol trioleate and sulfur to Part II.
• Species at Risk Act — Nuttall’s Sheep Moth
  • The critical habitat identified in the recovery strategy that lies inside the Vaseux‑Bighorn National Wildlife Area and Vaseux Lake Bird Sanctuary will be covered by subsection 58(1) of the Species at Risk Act starting 90 days after publication (on or about March 13, 2026).
• Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality — Radiological Parameters
  • Health Canada published final guidelines with screening levels and maximum acceptable concentrations (MACs). Key values:
    • screening: gross alpha 0.5 Bq/L, gross beta 1 Bq/L
    • MACs: lead‑210: 2 Bq/L, radium‑226: 5 Bq/L, radium‑228: 2 Bq/L
  • The document says most Canadians get little exposure from drinking water, but some groundwater sources can have higher natural levels and may need testing or treatment.

Who's affected#

• Vehicle and engine manufacturers, importers, and regulators — because the interim order changes which U.S. regulatory text or weight thresholds are used for Canadian rules.
• Trailer manufacturers and businesses that make or sell trailers completed on or after January 1, 2020 — the interim order says those trailers are not covered by the heavy‑duty greenhouse‑gas rules.
• Companies that make, import or handle the listed chemicals — the Non‑domestic Substances List additions could affect reporting or oversight (the notice itself adds the CAS numbers but does not explain downstream steps).
• Communities, land managers, and anyone doing work in the Vaseux‑Bighorn National Wildlife Area and Vaseux Lake Bird Sanctuary — those areas’ critical habitat for the Nuttall’s Sheep Moth will receive the Act’s protections after March 13, 2026.
• Municipal and private water suppliers, and residents served by groundwater systems where natural radionuclide levels can be higher — the new drinking‑water guidelines set screening and maximum levels that may trigger testing or treatment needs.

Why it matters#

• Aligning part of Canada’s vehicle rules with U.S. regulatory language and changing the weight threshold can change which vehicles are treated as light or medium/heavy in Canada. That can affect manufacturers’ compliance obligations and which emissions rules apply to specific models.
• Excluding trailers completed on or after January 1, 2020 from the heavy‑duty greenhouse‑gas rules removes regulatory obligations for those trailers — that can ease compliance for some manufacturers but also changes the scope of emissions reporting and standards enforcement.
• Adding substances to the Non‑domestic Substances List is a regulatory housekeeping step that signals those chemicals are now listed; businesses that use or import them should check whether this triggers any reporting or other obligations.
• Giving legal protection to the Nuttall’s Sheep Moth’s critical habitat in the two protected areas could limit or change activities (like development or land use) in those specific locations to help recover a rare local species.
• The drinking‑water radiological guidelines provide clear screening levels and limits. For a small number of water systems with naturally high radionuclide levels, this could mean more testing, treatment upgrades (e.g., reverse osmosis or ion exchange), or communication to residents about water quality.