BNST Removed from Toxic Substances List

Summary#

The Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 removes the chemical benzenamine, N-phenyl-, reaction product with styrene and 2,4,4-trimethylpentene (BNST) from the federal List of Toxic Substances. The Order took effect on October 6, 2020, so BNST can no longer be made subject to new risk-management measures under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

What it does#

• Deletes BNST (previously listed as Item 110 in Schedule 1) from the List of Toxic Substances in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
• Means BNST is no longer eligible to be regulated as a toxic substance under that Act (for example, it cannot now trigger prohibitions or “virtual elimination” rules under that law).
• Reflects a change in scientific assessment: a 2017 reassessment of BNST and 13 related substances found they do not meet the Act’s criteria for being “toxic” in Canada. The departments concluded measured environmental levels and exposure scenarios no longer indicate a risk.

Who's affected#

• Companies that make, import, sell or use BNST or products that historically contained it — especially those in the lubricant and chemical sectors. The assessment noted BNST use in lubricants has fallen by over 99% since earlier surveys.
• Federal regulators: the Department of the Environment and the Department of Health (which led the reassessment and proposed the Order).
• Communities near past manufacturing or release sites may be indirectly affected by the change in regulatory status, though the reassessment found environmental concentrations of concern are low.
• The general public and small businesses are unlikely to see new costs or direct effects; the government’s analysis found no expected impacts on small businesses.

Why it matters#

• This Order is a concrete example of government chemical management updating rules when new data change the risk picture. It shows that substances can be removed from the toxic list if later evidence shows they no longer meet the law’s harm criteria.
• For industry, it reduces the chance BNST will face new CEPA restrictions in future. For the public, the change signals that current monitoring and reassessment found environmental and health risks from BNST in Canada are low.
• The source says uncertainty remains about past measurements and methods, but additional sampling supported the reassessment’s conclusion. If you live near a former manufacturing area or handle industrial oils and lubricants, local monitoring or product labels are the places to check for any remaining concerns.