Phenol, methylstyrenated allowed under conditions

Summary#

On March 14, 2026, the Department of the Environment published several notices. The biggest items: Ministerial Condition No. 22313 allows the manufacture or import of phenol, methylstyrenated (CAS RN 68512-30-1) but only under strict conditions; rules for the Federal Plastics Registry were amended so some producers must keep reporting for 2025 and 2026; and an administrative agreement on wastewater rules with Saskatchewan was finalized and made available.

What it does#

• Ministerial Condition No. 22313 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 lets one identified notifier make or import phenol, methylstyrenated (CAS RN 68512-30-1) only under specified limits and controls.
  • The substance may only be used as a component in an adhesive applied either in a spray booth/enclosed area that captures overspray, or for small repairs limited to 10 kg of adhesive per day per site.
  • The notifier must transfer the substance only to people who agree to follow the conditions.
  • The notifier must notify the minister at least 120 days before starting manufacture in Canada and provide detailed information about quantities, facility location, transport, likely releases, and disposal methods.
  • Containers and transport vessels must be rinsed before disposal. Waste must be incinerated or placed in an engineered hazardous waste landfill, according to local laws.
  • If there is a release to the environment, the notifier must stop further release and notify emergency contacts.
  • Record-keeping rules require keeping documents for at least five years, updating address changes within 30 days, and creating records within 30 days of getting the information.
  • These conditions came into force on February 19, 2026.
• The notice amending the Federal Plastics Registry says the reporting deadlines for phases 2 and 3 have been postponed.
  • Producers of packaging, electronic and electrical equipment, and single-use or disposable products intended for the residential waste stream must continue to report for 2025 and 2026.
  • The department also announced an intention to issue a new notice to collect information for 2027, 2028, and 2029, and will consult stakeholders on that future notice.
• Under the Fisheries Act, an “Administrative agreement between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada regarding the administration of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations in Saskatchewan” is now final and available as of March 14, 2026. A preceding 60-day comment period drew no public comments.

Who's affected#

• The named notifier (the company that submitted information on September 3, 2025) and any businesses that would manufacture, import, handle or use phenol, methylstyrenated (CAS RN 68512-30-1) in Canada.
• Companies that make or use adhesives that might contain this substance, especially those using spray application or doing small maintenance repairs.
• Waste handlers, incinerators and hazardous-waste landfill operators who would receive waste, containers, or residues from this substance.
• Producers required to report to the Federal Plastics Registry — specifically manufacturers of packaging, electronic/electrical equipment, and single-use/disposable products destined for the residential waste stream — for 2025 and 2026.
• Governments and operators in Saskatchewan involved in wastewater regulation and compliance under the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

If a specific business or community is not named in the notices, it may be unclear whether they are affected. The minister’s 120-day notice requirement is intended to make future manufacturers identifiable.

Why it matters#

• The minister has allowed a potentially hazardous chemical to be made or brought into Canada, but only under tight conditions aimed at limiting releases and tracking who handles it. That affects workplace safety, local pollution risk, and how waste is managed.
• The plastics reporting change means regulators will keep getting data from key plastic-product sectors for 2025 and 2026, delaying a shift in who must report. That affects producers’ reporting workload and the government’s plastics data for policy and recycling planning.
• The signed administrative agreement with Saskatchewan clarifies who runs and enforces certain wastewater rules in that province. That can affect how wastewater limits are applied and who businesses contact about compliance.