Methane equivalency agreements and chemical list change

Summary#

The Department of the Environment published notices about methane rules for the oil and gas sector and a small change to a chemicals list. It made a public summary of comments on the British Columbia equivalency agreement and posted an equivalency agreement with Saskatchewan, and it issued Order 2025-87-01-02 Amending the Non-domestic Substances List removing a listed substance. The reports and agreement were made available on December 21, 2024 and the order is dated December 5, 2024.

What it does#

• Makes available a summary of how public comments and any notices of objection were handled for the Agreement on the Equivalency of Federal and British Columbia Regulations Respecting the Release of Methane from the Oil and Gas Sector in British Columbia, 2025, and for the related Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in British Columbia. The summary is posted to the CEPA registry as of December 21, 2024.
• Announces the Minister has entered into and posted the Agreement on the equivalency of federal and Saskatchewan regulations respecting the release of methane from the oil and gas sector in Saskatchewan, 2025, also available as of December 21, 2024.
• Issues Order 2025-87-01-02 Amending the Non-domestic Substances List, which deletes the substance identified by CAS number 192003-74-0 from Part I of the Non-domestic Substances List. The order states it will come into force on the same day as Order 2025-87-01-01 Amending the Domestic Substances List.

Who's affected#

• Companies and operators in the upstream oil and gas sector in British Columbia and Saskatchewan — they are the main group affected by methane rules and any equivalency decisions.
• People or groups who submitted comments or notices of objection — the published summary explains how those inputs were handled.
• Businesses that make, import, or use the chemical with CAS number 192003-74-0, and anyone who tracks chemical reporting or assessment requirements under federal lists.
• Federal and provincial regulators who manage and enforce these rules.

If it’s unclear who exactly will see operational changes (for example, which firms or what specific obligations change), the notices themselves do not give those implementation details.

Why it matters#

• An “equivalency” agreement means a province’s rules can be treated as meeting federal requirements. That can change which rules companies must follow in practice, and affect inspections, reporting, and compliance costs for oil and gas operators in those provinces.
• Publishing a summary of comments improves transparency about how public input was considered when decisions were made.
• Moving a substance off the Non-domestic Substances List (and into the Domestic Substances List, as indicated) can change whether and how the federal government assesses or regulates that chemical. The Gazette notice does not give further detail about the substance or the practical effects of the change.

Contact named in the notice: Magda Little, Director, Oil, Gas, and Alternative Energy Division (email provided on the CEPA registry).