Methane equivalency agreements; substance removed

Summary#

The Government of Canada published notices under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 saying three environment-related documents are available on the federal registry as of December 21, 2024. These include a summary of comments about an equivalency agreement and related order for British Columbia, the text of an equivalency agreement with Saskatchewan about methane rules, and Order 2025-87-01-02 Amending the Non-domestic Substances List, which deletes the substance identified as 192003-74-0 from the Non‑domestic list.

What it does#

• Makes public a report that summarizes how 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 certain federal methane regulations do not apply in British Columbia. The summary is available on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry as of December 21, 2024.
• Publishes the Agreement on the equivalency of federal and Saskatchewan regulations respecting the release of methane from the oil and gas sector in Saskatchewan, 2025. That agreement is also available on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry as of December 21, 2024.
• Announces Order 2025-87-01-02 Amending the Non-domestic Substances List, which removes the substance listed as 192003-74-0 from Part I of the Non‑domestic Substances List. This order takes effect on the same day that the companion Order 2025-87-01-01 (which amends the Domestic Substances List) comes into force. The order is signed by Steven Guilbeault (dated December 5, 2024).
• Contact for the methane notices: Magda Little, Oil, Gas, and Alternative Energy Division (email: methane-methane@ec.gc.ca).

Who's affected#

• Oil and gas companies and operators in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Equivalency agreements usually mean provincial rules take the place of federal rules for certain activities, so these operators may see changes in which set of rules they follow and who enforces them.
• Companies that make, import or use the chemical with CAS number 192003-74-0. The notice does not name the substance beyond its CAS number, so it’s not clear from this item which industries use it.
• Environmental groups, local communities and Indigenous organizations that commented on the agreements or monitor methane emissions and chemical listings may be affected or interested.

Why it matters#

• Equivalency agreements change which government (federal or provincial) regulates methane emissions from oil and gas work in a province. That can affect how companies comply, how inspections and enforcement are done, and how emissions are reported.
• Publishing the summary of comments gives the public a record of how concerns were handled. That can matter to people and groups who submitted comments or who want transparency about regulatory decisions.
• Moving a substance off the Non‑domestic Substances List (by identifying it with 192003-74-0 and amending the lists) alters how that chemical is tracked under federal chemical-management rules. The notice does not list the real‑world uses of the substance, so readers who might be affected (manufacturers, downstream users) will need to check the CEPA registry entry for details.