Licensing

Explosives Regulatory Division

Licensing

Factory Licence

For manufacturing facilities for explosives. This facility can be a fixed site for the manufacture of blasting explosives, ammunition or fireworks, etc., or, in the case of bulk explosives, it can be the base of operations with the facilities necessary to clean, decontaminate and repair vehicles that support satellite sites, customer sites, and temporary factories from which trials and demonstrations may be conducted and where the manufacture of the product occurs.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) requires that the Explosives Regulatory Division (ERD) conduct an environmental assessment (EA) before a factory licence is issued (and in some cases amended) and prior to any irrevocable decision being made. The EA provides a systematic approach for identifying the environmental effects of proposed projects.

An EA is normally triggered for the following reasons:

a new factory licence and some new magazine licences,

an amendment to an existing licence and, in some cases, where the level of emissions or effluents is increased or where new emissions or effluents are to be expected, or

a change of location.

Site Decommissioning - A licence will not be allowed to lapse until ERD is satisfied that remediation/decommissioning has been satisfactorily carried out. In the absence of stricter federal/provincial/territorial requirements, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment criteria will apply. For further information on environmental services contact the
Licensing and Compliance Group.

When developing a site for the manufacture of explosives, you must follow guidelines cited in various standards developed by ERD. In the case of factories for the manufacture of ammunition, propellants, rockets, fireworks and packaged explosives, each has unique requirements and the factory fee structure is scaled differently than those fees for bulk explosive factories. Please contact the Licensing and Compliance Group for the schedule of these fees.

In the case of bulk explosive facilities, the requirements may be found in the Guideline for Bulk Explosive Facilities. Appendix "D" sets out the minimum requirements for a base factory site along with various other categories of certificates and permissions for operations associated with bulk explosives. See the fee structure below.

Temporary Factory Licence

Temporary factory sites are licensed factory sites that move with the construction of roads, hydro lines or pipelines, or are of short duration, such as some construction projects (e.g., air fields). Such sites must be supported by existing, licensed base factories equipped to properly service the process vehicles that would be located at the temporary site. A licence for a temporary factory is granted when the company has provided evidence that the site is truly temporary in nature. The licence will be renewed only for a maximum of two years. The fee structure for a temporary factory site is the same as for a factory site.

Licensing fees for blasting explosive factories are based on the number of process units, process vehicles, and the net weight of explosives stored at the site. The minimum fee is $900 and the maximum is $20 000.

Licence Fee:

$180 per process unit, per process vehicle and per magazine.

Following are the forms and guidelines used for these types of licences issued by ERD. They are available for download in .pdf format. Copies can also be obtained from the Licensing and Compliance Group.

Forms Required
1	Application For Explosives Manufacture and Annex
G1	Guideline for Completion of Factory/Manufacturing Certificate Applications
4	Plant, Buildings and Equipment
5	Authorized Explosives Manufacture and Storage
6	Authorized Operations and Processes
7	Distances to be Maintained Between the Buildings and Process Units of the Site(s) and Other Buildings and Works Outside the Site or Operations

Magazine Licence

For the establishment of storage for sale or use of all explosives. This type of licence is issued by the five regional offices located in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Varennes and Halifax. There are two main types of licence issued (for a Vendor or User) and these are broken down as noted below. A vendor licence is required to store for sale blasting explosives, propellants, fireworks and pyrotechnics when so required by the Explosives Regulations. A user licence allows storage for use of explosives in different circumstances (e.g., a zone user licence allows the licensee to move with operational requirements, while a special user licence allows the licensee to share a magazine with others). Perforating, Seismic, Heliportable and Track Drill relate either to oil exploration or production. All fees are based on 12-month renewals. Electronic copies of noted forms are available in MS Word format and can be obtained by contacting the regional office nearest you or e-mail
canmet-erd@nrcan.gc.ca.

Explosives User Magazine Licence (Type U)

This type of licence is required for the storage of blasting explosives and any other type of industrial explosives for use if:

any quantity stored is for commercial use; or

the quantity stored for private use exceeds 75 kilograms or 100 detonators; or

the period of storage of any quantity exceeds 90 days.

The fee for this type of licence is $90. Sales are not permitted with a user licence.

Explosives Vendor Magazine Licence (Type V)

This type of licence is required for the sale of blasting explosives and other types of industrial explosives if:

any quantity is kept by the vendor in storage magazines; or

any quantity is sold on consignment, whether or not stored at any time by the vendor.

The fee for this type of licence is:

$90 for each of the first two magazines and

$180 for each additional magazine within a site.

Fireworks Magazine Licence (Type X)

This type of licence is required for the storage and sale of fireworks and pyrotechnic articles if:

for storage of consumer fireworks for sale or use, the quantities exceed 1000 kilograms gross weight;

for storage of display fireworks for use, the quantities exceed 125 kilograms gross weight or for direct or consignment sale, in any quantity;

any quantity of high-powered rocket motors (motors exceeding 80 newton-seconds total impulse) are stored for direct or consignment sale;

for storage for use or sale of low-hazard, practical purpose pyrotechnics (distress flares, wildlife control devices, etc.), the quantities exceed 1000 kilograms gross weight;

for storage of high-hazard, practical purpose pyrotechnics(theatrical effects, line throwing rockets, etc.), the quantities exceed 125 kilograms gross weight or are for direct or consignment sale in any quantity.

The fee for this type of licence is $50.

Propellant Magazine Licence (Type P)

This licence is required for the storage of propellant powder, primers and small arms ammunition if:

the quantity of powder stored for personal use exceeds 75 kilograms;

the quantity of powder stored for sale exceeds 12 kilograms net explosives weight or 10 000 primers;

the storage of ammunition exceeds 225 kilograms net explosives quantity.

Requirements relative to the storage and possession of propellant powders, primers and ammunition for personal use can be found in the Canadian Regulations for Propellant Explosives and Sporting Ammunition (Bulletin #8).

The fee for this type of licence is $90.

Following are the form and guidelines used for these types of licences issued by ERD. They are available for download in .pdf format. Copies can also be obtained from the regional office nearest you.

Forms Required
10	Pacific Western Ontario Quebec Atlantic	Magazine Licence Application (U, V, P, X)
10 Annex		Magazine Licence Application Annex
G2		Guideline for Completion of Magazine Licence Form 10 Application
Bulletin 16		Change of Location


Last Modified: 2005-12-07	Important Notices