By: Sydney Sybydlo
This is a list of select proposed EHS regulatory changes in Canada, the United States, and the European Union. Nimonik monitors EHS legislation, regulations and standards in over 30 countries and 400 jurisdictions. If you would like to track EHS legislation in specific regions, jurisdictions or countries, we are happy to help. Please send us a request for more information here and we will get in touch shortly.
Canada
- Federal – Regulations Amending the Antarctic Environmental Protection Regulations and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations
- Federal – Notice with respect to the availability of an equivalency agreement with British Columbia (upstream oil and gas sector)
- Saskatchewan – Review: The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010
United States
European Union
- No newsworthy proposals this month.
Canada – Federal
Regulations Amending the Antarctic Environmental Protection Regulations and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations
Published Date: 8 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry
The Canadian Department of the Environment has announced its intention to update rules governing environmental protections of the Antarctic. According to the government, the changes would notably “clarify which type of environmental evaluation (preliminary, initial or comprehensive) would be required for each impact level.”
Activities “that are likely to have less than a minor or transitory impact” on the Antarctic environment would require a preliminary environmental evaluation, whereby “applicants must identify the expected environmental effects of their activities in sufficient detail to allow the Minister of the Environment to assess whether these activities likely have less than a minor or transitory impact on the environment.”
Activities “that are likely to have no more than a minor or transitory impact” on the Antarctic environment would require an initial environmental evaluation, whereby applicants would be required to provide “the information required for a preliminary environmental evaluation; a description of each proposed activity; the consideration of alternatives to each proposed activity; and a description of the estimated environmental impacts resulting from each proposed activity.”
Activities “that are likely to have more than a minor or transitory impact” on the Antarctic environment would require a comprehensive environmental evaluation, whereby applicants would be required to provide all the information required for preliminary and initial environmental evaluations, along with:
- “a description of the initial environmental reference state with which potential changes are to be compared and a prediction of the potential future environmental reference state if the proposed activities are not conducted;
- “a description of the methods and data used to predict the potential environmental impacts of the proposed activities;
- “an estimation of the nature, extent, duration and intensity of the likely direct environmental impacts of the proposed activities;
- “a consideration of possible indirect or secondary environmental impacts of the proposed activities;
- “an identification of measures, including monitoring programs, that could be taken to minimize or mitigate the environmental impacts of the proposed activities and to detect unforeseen impacts, and provide an early warning of any adverse effects of the proposed activities and a prompt and effective response to any accidents;
- “an identification of the unavoidable environmental impacts of the proposed activities;
- “a consideration of the effects of the proposed activities on the conduct of scientific research and on other existing uses and values;
- “a description of gaps in knowledge and uncertainties encountered in compiling the information for the evaluation;
- “a non-technical summary of the information provided;
- the name and address of the person who prepared the evaluation and, if the evaluation was prepared by an organization, the name and address of the organization’s representative; and
- “any other information relevant to the proposed activities.”
The changes would also require that “waste management plan[s contain] measures regarding waste removal, incineration, and disposal on land and sea” and would “ensure that the most serious type of offense is applied when there is a failure to comply with any waste management requirements.”
The changes would be made by amending the Antarctic Environmental Protection Regulations and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations.
Interested parties may submit comments until 10 March 2025.
Additional information is available here.
Notice with respect to the availability of an equivalency agreement with British Columbia (upstream oil and gas sector)
Published Date: 22 February 2025
Industry Sector: Oil & Gas Industry
The Government of Canada announced its intention to enter into an equivalency agreement</a> with the Government of British Columbia concerning the regulation of methane emissions by the oil and gas sector.
This agreement will pave the way for the suspension of certain provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) in British Columbia.
Saskatchewan
Review: The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010
Published Date: 3 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has proposed updates to environmental management legislation which “protects Saskatchewan’s air, land and water resources by regulating and controlling potentially harmful activities and substances.” According to the government, key changes would include:
- updates to various definitions, including that of “adverse effect”, to include “harm to property, personal safety and business operations”;
- additional rules governing corrective action plans to improve remediation of impacted sites;
- “modernization” of various phrases: definitions, allowing electronic service of notices, orders, and decisions;
- clarify “that people cannot dispose of hazardous or industrial waste on their private property without a permit [and that only] household and farm waste can be disposed of on private property, and only if local laws allow it”; and
- new offence, enforcement, penalty provisions, and additional ministry authorities.
The changes would be made by amending The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010.
Interested parties may submit feedback until 4 April 2025.
Additional information is available here.
United States
HB27 – HALT Fentanyl Act
Published Date: 10 February 2025
Industry Sector: Chemical Industry, Healthcare Industry
The United States Government has announced its intention to permanently add fentanyl-related substances to the list of schedule 1 controlled substances (“drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse”).
The change would establish minimum prison sentences for offenses involving fentanyl-related substances and establish an “alternative registration process for certain schedule I research.”
It would also update various other “registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances.”
Additional information is available here.
Fee Schedules; Fee Recovery for Fiscal Year 2025
Published Date: 19 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Public Administration and Institutions
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced its intention to update “the licensing, inspection, special project, and annual fees charged to its applicants and licensees [and] to implement a reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants for certain activities.”
Interested parties may submit comments until 21 March 2025.
Additional information is available here.
Past months’ proposed changes are available here: January 2025, December 2024, November 2024, October 2024, September 2024, August 2024
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