New PM2.5 Targets and Chemical Permit

Summary#

The Canada Gazette publishes two Environment notices. One is Ministerial Condition No. 22175 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 that allows the manufacture or import of the chemical 1,3-propanediamine, N-[3-(C11-14-isoalkyloxy)propyl] derivs., C13-rich, acetates (CAS RN 151789-08-1) only under specific conditions. The other updates the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with new, tighter targets for 2030.

What it does#

• Chemical permit and rules (Ministerial Condition No. 22175)

  • Allows the person who notified the government (the “notifier”) to manufacture or import the named substance, but only under the listed conditions.
  • Prohibits importing or making the substance in an uncured form in a consumer product or cosmetic, unless it is chemically reacted into a stable matrix and cured during manufacture.
  • Requires the notifier to inform the Minister of the Environment in writing at least 120 days before manufacturing the substance or products containing it in Canada, and to provide detailed information (quantities, facility address, transport and storage, likely releases, destruction/disposal methods, and process details).
  • Limits transfers: the substance may only be given to someone who agrees not to use it to make consumer products or cosmetics unless it is cured into a stable form.
  • Disposal rules require thorough rinsing of containers and either reuse of the rinsate as a mining flotation reagent processing aid or disposal at an engineered hazardous waste landfill (in line with local laws).
  • Requires immediate action and notification if there is an unauthorized or accidental release to the environment.
  • Record-keeping: keep records (electronic or paper) at your principal place of business in Canada for at least 5 years.
  • These conditions came into force on July 28, 2025.

• New PM2.5 ambient air quality objectives (CAAQS for 2030)

  • Sets a new 24‑hour target of 23 µg/m3 (evaluated as the 3‑year average of the annual 98th percentile of daily 24‑hour concentrations).
  • Sets a new annual target of 8.0 µg/m3 (evaluated as the 3‑year average of the annual average concentrations).
  • These updated standards take effect at 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2030 and will replace the previous 2020 CAAQS for PM2.5.
  • Introduces management-level ranges (Green/Yellow/Orange/Red) to guide when jurisdictions should step up actions as air quality worsens.
  • A future review will be done as needed to reflect new science and health information.

Who's affected#

• Chemical rules

  • The “notifier” named in the notice (identity not given in the public text) and any companies that manufacture, import, handle, store, transport or dispose of the specific chemical (CAS RN 151789-08-1).
  • Manufacturers of consumer products and cosmetics that might consider using this substance, plus hazardous-waste handlers and landfill operators who would receive disposals.
  • Mining operations that might accept rinsate as a flotation reagent processing aid.
  • Regulators and emergency responders who would be notified in the event of a release.

• PM2.5 standards

  • Provinces and territories and their municipalities, because they lead air quality management and report on air zones.
  • Industries and facilities that emit fine particulates (e.g., energy, manufacturing, transportation, construction, agriculture).
  • Public health agencies and clinicians who plan for air-quality-related health risks.
  • People more vulnerable to air pollution — such as those with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and children — who stand to benefit from cleaner air.

Why it matters#

• The chemical conditions set limits and monitoring requirements aimed at reducing the chance the substance ends up in consumer products or the environment in a form that could cause harm. They create obligations for warning, record-keeping, safe disposal, and rapid response after releases. In practice, this means more oversight over where the substance is made, who gets it, and how waste is handled.

• The tighter CAAQS for PM2.5 are meant to push governments and industries to reduce fine particulate emissions over the next few years. Health Canada estimates that ambient PM2.5 is linked to about 12,500 premature deaths per year in Canada; lowering PM2.5 concentrations is expected to reduce hospital visits and premature deaths and to protect ecosystems. The new targets give jurisdictions clear numerical goals and trigger stronger actions as air quality moves into the higher-risk management levels.