By: Sydney Sybydlo
Here are a few noteworthy global EHS regulatory changes in February 2025. We cover EHS legislation and standards for over 30 countries and 400 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. Note that descriptions with an asterisk (*) were generated with artificial intelligence.
- Canada – Federal
- Canada – Alberta
- Canada – Nova Scotia
- Canada – Quebec
- United States – Federal
- United States – Colorado
- United States – Delaware
- United States – Ohio
- European Union
- Belgium
- Brazil – Santa Catarina
- Indonesia
- Mexico – Chihuahua
- United Kingdom
Canada – Federal
Amended Document – Canadian Rail Operating Rules
Amending Document – Canadian Rail Operating Rules 2025-01-28 Amendments
First Effective Date: 28 January 2025
Industry Sector: Rail Transportation
The changes to this document notably—
- add obligations and requirements for remote control operations and dysfunctional grade crossings;
- add precautions regarding locomotive engineers;
- add new obligations regarding the use of rollaway protection as an additional means of securement;
- update the obligations regarding coupling to equipment and;
- specify new obligations for uncoupling from equipment, moving equipment after coupling, switching with air brakes, and other operations of movements.
Canada – Alberta
Amended Document – Oil and Gas Conservation Rules
Amending Document – Oil and Gas Conservation Rules Amendment Regulation
First Effective Date: 3 February 2025
Industry Sector: Oil and Gas Industry
The changes to this document notably—
- specify the situations in which a licensee or approval holder shall provide a security deposit in accordance with Directive 068: ERCB Security Deposits;
- specify that a security deposit can now be in any form of security acceptable to the Regulator and update the obligation to comply with the requirements, now set out in Directive 001: Requirements for Site-Specific Liability Assessments in Support of the ERCB’s Liability Management Programs, Directive 011: Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) Program: Updated Industry Parameters and Liability Costs, 068 and Directive 088: Licensee Life-Cycle Management and;
- add requirements regarding an approval in respect of an oilfield waste management facility and its transfer.
Canada – Nova Scotia
New Principal Document – Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations
First Effective Date: 4 February 2025
Industry Sector: Oil & Gas Industry
This document applies to operators conducting offshore petroleum activities in Nova Scotia. It outlines requirements for safety, environmental protection, and resource management in offshore operations. Key areas include management systems, authorizations, certificates of fitness, installation design and maintenance, well operations, and emergency preparedness.*
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations are also amended to reflect penalties for violations of the new document, and the Nova Scotia Offshore Area Certificate of Fitness Regulations, Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Geophysical Operations Regulations, Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Installations Regulations, and Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Production Regulations are repealed.
Canada – Quebec
Amended Document – Safety Code for the construction industry
Amending Document – Regulation to amend the Safety Code for the construction industry
First Effective Date: 20 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance
According to the Government of Quebec, the changes to the document notably—
- “[update] the standards pertaining to fall protection and working at heights, and [take] into account related technical and technological advancements;”
- “[promote] the control of fall hazards by establishing a hierarchy of prevention measures;” and
- “[set] out the rescue procedures for an employee who is suspended in a safety harness or retained in a safety net after a fall.”
United States – Colorado
New Principal Document – CCR Rule 1001-34 Air Toxic Contaminants
First Effective Date: 17 March 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry
This document applies to entities involved with toxic air contaminants in Colorado. It identifies five priority toxic air contaminants: benzene, hexavalent chromium compounds, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide. The document outlines the process and rationale for selecting these contaminants based on health risks and exposure data.*
United States – Delaware
Amended Document – DAC 7-1105 Particulate Emissions from Industrial Process Operations
Amending Document – DAC 7-1105 Particulate Emissions from Industrial Process Operations 2025-02-01 Amendments
First Effective Date: 11 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry
According to the government, the change to this document “remove[s] language that could potentially allow exemptions to [startup, shutdown, and malfunction] events and make ‘0.2 grains per standard cubic foot’ now apply at all times,” and provides that facilities such as those “involved in pharmaceutical processing, mulching, book binding, and food processing” are subject to this regulation.
Amended Document – DAC 7-1114 Visible Emissions
Amending Document – DAC 7-1114 Visible Emissions 2025-02-01 Amendments
First Effective Date: 11 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry
According to the government, the change to this document “remove[s] language that could potentially allow exemptions in [startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM)] events and implement[s] new emission limits during SSM events.” It also “include[s] a new SSM emission limit of ‘40% opacity for more than 6 consecutive minutes in any 1 hour period.'”
United States – Ohio
Amended Document – OAC Chapter 3745-300 Voluntary Action Program
Amending Document – OAC Chapter 3745-300 Voluntary Action Program 2025-02-16 Amendments
First Effective Date: 16 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance, Other
According to the government, the changes to this document notably “increase [no further action] fees, revise laboratory certification requirements, revise the renewal process for [Voluntary Action Program] Certified Professionals, revise environmental site assessments procedures, revise generic numerical risk standards, update property specific risk assessment procedures, clarify ground water classification and potable use response requirements, revise remedy requirements, update other program procedures, and remove regulatory restrictions.”
European Union
First Effective Date: 11 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance
This document applies to economic operators involved in the production, distribution, and management of packaging and packaging waste within the European Union. It establishes general requirements for businesses to ensure the sustainability, labeling, and proper end-of-life management of packaging, including targets for waste prevention, recycling, and the use of recycled content in plastic packaging.*
Belgium
Amended Document – Royal Decree establishing product standards for fuels of renewable origin destined for the transport sector and for fuels based on recycled carbon destined for the transport sector
Amending Document – Royal Decree amending the Royal Decree of 17 December 2021 establishing product standards for fuels intended for the transport sector of renewable origin and for fuels or fuels based on recycled carbon intended for the transport sector
First Effective Date: 7 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance
The changes to this document notably:
- update certain definitions in relation to renewable transport fuels, such as the introduction of a new definition of industrial quality round wood that specifies the classification of wood resources for fuel production and a new definition of ambient energy to include the natural thermal energy in enclosed environments;
- introduce specific criteria for biogas installations with biomethane flow rate above 200 m³/hour;
- update the requirements for forest biomass used in biofuel production;
- introduce new requirements for economic operators and fuel suppliers for the use of the EU database for the tracking and verification of renewable fuels transactions;
- clarify the requirements for tracking renewable fuels through the supply chain;
- require the provision of easily accessible, user-friendly information about biofuels’ geographical origin and raw materials on the authority’s website; and
- add new materials for the production of biofuels, such as fusel oils, crude methanol from kraft pulp, and intermediate crops.
Brazil – Santa Catarina
New Principal Document – Ordinary Law No. 19.255/2025 of the State of Santa Catarina – Creates the Recycling Seal to certify products made from recyclable materials and establishes other provisions.
First Effective Date: 24 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry
This document applies to businesses in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It establishes a voluntary Recycling Seal certification for products made from recycled materials. Businesses must submit an application with required documents, including proof of recycled content, to obtain the seal. The seal must be displayed on certified products.*
France
First Effective Date: 2 February 2025
Industry Sector: Printing and Pulp and Paper Industry
This document applies to operators of textile industry installations subject to environmental authorization. It outlines best available techniques and environmental performance standards for textile processing, covering:
- Water, energy and chemical use reduction
- Wastewater treatment and emissions control
- Waste management
- Process-specific requirements for pretreatment, dyeing, printing and finishing*
Indonesia
New Principal Document – BAPETEN No. 5 of 2024 Concerning the Safety of Radioactive Substances
First Effective Date: 31 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Healthcare Industry
This document applies to individuals, businesses, and public legal entities utilizing radioactive materials. It outlines requirements for radioactive material security, including:
- Categorizing radioactive materials and determining security levels
- Conducting security assessments
- Developing security programs and plans
- Implementing security measures for facilities and transportation
- Verifying and reporting on security implementation
- Maintaining records*
Mexico – Chihuahua
New Principal Document – Decree No. LXVII/EXLEY/0916/2024 XIV P.E. Circular Economy Law for the State of Chihuahua
First Effective Date: 7 July 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance
This document applies to businesses, government entities, and individuals in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It outlines a circular economy law, establishing principles and requirements for sustainable resource use, waste reduction, and recycling. Businesses must develop circular economy plans, while government agencies are tasked with promoting and incentivizing circular practices across sectors.*
United Kingdom
Amended Document – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1842 of 31 October 2019 laying down rules for the application of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards further arrangements for the adjustments to free allocation of emission allowances due to activity level changes
Amending Document – The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025
First Effective Date: 6 February 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance
The changes to this document notably update the rules for the free allocation of greenhouse gas emission allowances to eligible installations in relation to their cessation of operations by revising the definition of when a sub-installation ceases operation to refer to the permanent cessation of all operations at the sub-installation; and requiring the operator of an installation in receipt of free allocation to report on the activity level in the scheme year of cessation.
New Principal Document – The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025
First Effective Date: 31 March 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance
This document applies to English waste collection authorities and businesses in England. It outlines exemptions for collecting certain recyclable waste streams together. It also provides a temporary exemption for micro-firms (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees) from specific waste collection requirements until March 2027.*
Amended Document – The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016
Amending Document – The Environmental Permitting (Electricity Generating Stations) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
First Effective Date: 28 February 2026
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance
The changes to this document, according to the Government of the United Kingdom, notably “introduce a new requirement for new and substantially refurbishing combustion plants to include a ‘decarbonisation readiness report’ as part of their environmental permitting application.”
Past months’ top changes are available here: January 2025, December 2024, November 2024, October 2024, September 2024, August 2024
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