New Substances Program Advisory Note 2005-02

Publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II The New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers), the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms), the Regulations Amending the New Substances Fees Regulations and the Regulations Repealing the New Substances Notification Regulations.

This advisory note is to inform manufacturers and importers of chemicals, polymers and products of biotechnology and other stakeholders that the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers) [NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers)], the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) [NSNR (Organisms)], the Regulations Amending the New Substances Fees Regulations (the Regulations Amending the NSFR) and the Regulations Repealing the New Substances Notification Regulations were approved by the Governor in Council on August 30, 2005, will be published on September 21, 2005 and will come into force on October 31, 2005.

Background

The revised NSNR, which were split into the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) and the NSNR (Organisms), result from extensive multistakeholder consultations that took place from 1999 to 2001 on the chemical and polymer provisions contained in the former NSNR. Amendments are also being made to the NSFR in order to ensure consistency with the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers).

The NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers), the NSNR (Organisms), and the Regulations Amending the NSFR [together the Regulations] were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on October 30, 2004. During the 75-day comment period that followed, comments were submitted by stakeholders. The responses to these comments were posted on June 14, 2005 on the New Substances (NS) Program's website
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Governor in Council approval, publication and entry into force

The final versions of the Regulations were approved by the Governor in Council on August 30, 2005. The Regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on September 21, 2005 and will come into force on October 31, 2005.

The New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers)

As with the former NSNR, the revised NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) intend to ensure that no new substance is introduced into the Canadian marketplace before an assessment of its potential effects on the environment and human health has been completed. The modifications made to the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) include the use of plain language to reduce the complexity of the former NSNR and to provide flowcharts to give manufacturers and importers a "roadmap" of the notification requirements under the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers).

The New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms)

As with the former NSNR, the NSNR (Organisms) intend to ensure that no new substance is introduced into the Canadian marketplace before an assessment of its potential effects on the environment and human health has been completed. The modifications made to the NSNR (Organisms) are strictly administrative (the numbering of the schedules has changed) and will not create any changes to the provisions governing organisms.

The New Substances Fees Regulations

The NSFR remain unchanged except to reflect the changes to the schedule numbering in the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers); items like the fee amounts, chargeable services, and the possible fee reductions are not changing.

The Regulations Repealing the New Substances Notification Regulations

These Regulations are published to repeal the former NSNR.

Contact Information

New Substances Notification Information Line
Notification and Client Services Division
New Substances Branch
Risk Assessment Directorate
Environment Canada
Place Vincent Massey, 14th Floor
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3

Telephone: 1-800-567-1999 (toll-free in Canada)
               1-819-953-7156 (outside Canada)
Facsimile: 1-819-953-7155
E-mail:       nsn-infoline@ec.gc.ca

For additional information or documentation regarding the NSNR, please consult the accompanying information sheet or visit the New Substances Web Site at (http://www.ec.gc.ca/substances).

Original signed by

Bernard Madé
Acting Director
New Substances Branch
Environment Canada

Signed on September 8, 2005