New Controls on Explosive Precursor Chemicals

Summary#

This is a proposal by Natural Resources Canada to change the Regulations Amending the Explosives Regulations, 2013 (Restricted Components). It would add four common chemicals to the list of controlled “restricted components” and reorganize how those controls are applied. The notice was published on June 5, 2021, and the public has 30 days to comment (this is a proposal, not yet law).

What it does#

• Adds four chemicals to the restricted components lists:
  • calcium ammonium nitrate
  • hexamine
  • aluminum powder (dry, particle size under 200 μm)
  • acetone
• Reorganizes the rules into three control levels:
  • Tier 1: strongest controls (same level as ammonium nitrate). Sellers and some manufacturers must enroll with the regulator and follow strict storage, shipping, ID, record‑keeping and reporting rules.
  • Tier 2: mid-level controls (enrolment, locked storage or locked product, ID checks, sales records, weekly inspections, and reporting).
  • Tier 3: light controls (mainly require sellers to refuse suspicious sales and report refusals, thefts or tampering).
• Treats small amounts of ammonium nitrate or calcium ammonium nitrate in instant cold packs as Tier 3 (lighter rules).
• Replaces UN numbers with Chemical Abstracts Service registry numbers (CAS RNs) to identify chemicals more precisely.
• Makes some administrative changes such as clearer definitions of seller types, removing an obsolete ID option, and allowing the Chief Inspector to delegate some duties.
• If adopted, the amendments would come into force on the 90th day after they are registered (the draft also set out enrolment and reporting processes).

Who's affected#

• Sellers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers of the four added chemicals. The government estimates about 18,192 Canadian sellers would be affected in total.
• Small businesses are a large share of those sellers — about 5,220 small businesses would be impacted.
• Law enforcement and the Chief Inspector of Explosives (within Natural Resources Canada) would receive more reports and have roles in enforcement.
• Consumers of these products could see small price or access impacts, especially for calcium ammonium nitrate, hexamine, and aluminum powder.
• The government estimated the present value of implementation and compliance costs at $8,968,063 (over a 10‑year analytical period), with an annualized average cost of $1,276,850.

If it is unclear who exactly will be affected in a specific case (for example, some manufacturers buying a chemical as an ingredient), the Regulations distinguish between “component sellers” (who sell the raw chemical) and “product sellers” (who use the chemical to make other products) and give different rules for each.

Why it matters#

• The changes aim to make it harder for people to obtain chemicals used to build homemade explosives. That could help police detect suspicious purchases, thefts, or tampering earlier.
• For everyday businesses (hardware stores, paint shops, agricultural suppliers, pharmacies, online sellers), the rules mean new paperwork, some new storage and security steps, and occasional reporting. The government says it tried to limit burden (for example, by keeping acetone at the lightest control level).
• The proposal is intended to align Canada’s controls more with other jurisdictions and to respond to past uses of these chemicals in attacks abroad and some incidents in Canada.
• Because this is a proposed change, the final details and timing could change after the public comment period and before the rules are registered and come into force.