Here are a few noteworthy global EHS regulatory changes from June 2019. We cover EHS legislation and standards for over 90 countries and 200 jurisdictions. If you would like to track legislative changes for specific regions, countries or jurisdictions, we are happy to help. Please send us a request for more information here and we will contact you shortly.
- Switzerland
- British Columbia
- European Union
- Northwest Territories
- Canada Federal
- Newfoundland & Labrador
Switzerland
Industry – General, Office space, building management
New principal document – Federal Law on Protection Against the Hazards of Non-ionizing Radiation and Sound (LRNIS)
This legislation sets out the framework for regulating the use of products generating non-ionizing radiation or sound (including certification for professional or commercial use and for operators to comply with manufacturers’ safety instructions), and for measures to be taken in case of hazardous health exposure.
First effective 2019-06-01
British Columbia
Industry – General, Office space, building management
Amendment Act – Forest and Range Practices Amendment Act, 2019
A change to this document has been announced. The effect of the change, according to the Government of B.C., is notably to 1) “[require] replacement of forest stewardship plans every five years and woodlot licence plans every 10 years [where currently] a licensee can extend a forest stewardship plan for five additional years without requiring public review and comment”; 2) “[require] a forest operations map that includes the approximate locations of proposed cutblocks and roads” to be made publicly available and subject to review and comment by interested parties “before a licensee can apply for cutting or roads permits”; 3) “expand the definition of wildlife”; 4) “[eliminate] the range stewardship plan and [enable] a range-use plan to be managed through an online platform”; and 5) “[align] the term of a range-use plan […] with that of the range agreement”. The first effective date of the document that makes the change is May 16, 2019. More information about the change, including any additional effective dates, is available at https://www.leg.bc.ca/content/data%20-%20ldp/Pages/41st4th/1st_read/gov21-1.htm and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019FLNR0053-000541.
First effective date 2019-05-16
European Union
Industry – Transportation
New principal document Act – Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 443/2009 and (EU) No 510/2011 (Text with EEA relevance)
This document contains CO2 emissions performance requirements for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles. It includes provisions for vehicle manufacturers related to premiums for exceeding emissions targets; pooling arrangements; and temporary derogations from emissions targets.
First effective date 2019-05-15
Industry – General, Office space, building management
New principal document Act – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/661 of 25 April 2019 ensuring the smooth functioning of the electronic registry for quotas for placing hydrofluorocarbons on the market (Text with EEA relevance)
This document contains requirements for registration in the registry for quotas for placing hydrofluorocarbons on the market in the European Union. These requirements apply to certain entities that produce, use, collect, recycle, destroy, import, or export fluorinated greenhouse gases; as well as other entities such as operators of equipment that contains fluorinated greenhouse gases.
First effective date 2019-05-16
Northwest Territories
Industry – General, Office space, building management
Amendment – Wildlife Licences and Permits Regulations, amendment
A change to this document has been announced. The effect of the change is to provide for the issuance of Wildlife Observation Permits and to establish application requirements and rules for permit holders. Wildlife Observation Permits allow holders to “offer or provide an organized activity for profit in which big game is the object of interaction, manipulation or close observation, including the making of a film or the provision of an expedition, safari or cruise.” The first effective date of the document that makes the change is April 25, 2019. More information about the change, including any additional effective dates, is available at https://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/files/northwest-territories-gazette/2019/04_2.pdf.
First effective date 2019-04-25
Canada Federal
Industry – General, Office space, building management
Amending Act – Regulations Amending the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (Emergency Response Assistance Plan)
According to the Government of Canada, the changes notably (1) clarify that “an ‘Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) incident report’ must now be made as soon as possible in the event of a release or anticipated release of dangerous goods that require an ERAP”; (2) specify who needs an ERAP and that “the person with the ERAP is responsible for implementing the plan”; (3) introduce “two response tiers […] based on the level of response needed to address the release or anticipated release of dangerous goods”; (4) require an ERAP implementation report each time an ERAP is implemented; (5) require “a copy of the plan and a potential incident analysis” with the ERAP application; (6) require potential incident analysis to contain “ the analysis of at least four scenarios for dangerous goods included in the ERAP”; (7) allow “a person with an approved ERAP [to] allow another person to use their plan, so that the second person (authorized user) will not need to apply for approval” in certain situations; and (8) require “any quantity of dangerous goods that are Risk Group 4 human pathogens within the meaning of the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (S.C. 2009, c. 24)” to have an ERAP, but no longer require it for for foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) and Variola (smallpox virus).
First effective date 2019-06-01
Newfoundland & Labrador
Industry – General, Office space, building management
Amending Act – Management of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Regulations (Amendment)
A change to this document has been announced. The effect of the change is notably to add distinct requirements for mobile offshore industrial facilities concerning the information to be included in emissions reports and other reports, including the number of hours in a year that the facility operated in the offshore area. The first effective date of the document that makes the change is January 1, 2019. More information about the change, including any additional effective dates, is available at https://www.servicenl.gov.nl.ca/printer/gazette/extraordinary_issues/2019/NLG20190417_EXTRA.pdf.
First effective 2019-01-01
