Permit for Confidential Polymer (CSIN 19721-9)

Summary#

This notice, Ministerial Condition No. 21810 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, lets a confidential notifier manufacture or import a specific polymer (chemical name: 2‑propenoic acid, 2‑methyl‑,2‑hydroxyethyl ester, polymer… — Confidential Substance Identity Number 19721‑9) even though the ministers suspect it may be toxic. The permit is conditional: the notifier must provide information, follow release-response rules, and keep records. The conditions came into force on May 23, 2024.

What it does#

• Allows the named notifier to manufacture or import the substance, but only if they follow the listed conditions.
• Requires the notifier to tell the government at least 120 days before starting to manufacture the substance in Canada and to give:
  • the anticipated annual quantity;
  • the manufacturing facility address;
  • exposure-related details, including how the substance will be transported and stored, container types, where releases might go (air, water, soil, municipal wastewater), disposal or destruction methods, likely uses, and factors that limit exposure;
  • information about the manufacturing process, including main reactants, a process flow diagram, key steps and release points, and how releases are prevented;
  • a summary of all hazard and exposure data the notifier has.
• If the substance is released during manufacture or in products, the notifier must stop further releases, limit spread, and contact an enforcement officer as soon as possible.
• Before giving the substance to anyone else, the notifier must:
  • provide that person with the ministerial conditions in writing; and
  • get written confirmation that the person has been informed (for the first transfer).
• Record-keeping rules:
  • Keep records of uses and quantities manufactured, imported, sold, distributed or used; names and addresses of recipients; and the written confirmations.
  • Create records within 30 days after the information becomes available and update recipient-address changes within 30 days of learning them.
  • Keep records for at least 5 years at the notifier’s principal place of business in Canada (or their Canadian representative), in English or French, and in readable electronic format if stored electronically.
• The conditions took effect May 23, 2024.

Who's affected#

• The unnamed notifier (the company or person who supplied information on March 26, 2024) — the document treats this party as the authorized manufacturer/importer.
• Companies or people who receive the substance from that notifier (they must be told about and confirm the conditions).
• Any manufacturing facilities, transporters, waste handlers and nearby communities at the listed manufacturing address once it is provided.
• Regulators and enforcement officers who will receive notifications or reports about releases.
• The public: exact commercial identity of the substance is confidential (CSIN 19721‑9), so some details are not publicly available.

Why it matters#

• It lets a potentially hazardous chemical be made or brought into Canada under strict conditions instead of being blocked outright. That balances industrial use with government oversight.
• The rules force the notifier to provide specific information ahead of production, to act quickly if releases happen, and to keep records. That helps regulators assess and manage environmental and health risks.
• Because the substance identity is partly confidential, local communities and downstream users may not see full product details while the government collects the information it needs to judge safety.