Environmental Emergency (E2) Regulations

Act: Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999)
Regulation: Environmental Emergency Regulations

To Whom Does This Apply?

The Environmental Emergency (E2) Regulations apply to any person who owns or has the charge, management or control of a listed substance or who has a container with a capacity for that substance in excess of the specified quantity.

Eligible Activities

Using or storing any of the 174 listed dangerous substances (in excess of the specified quantities), or causing or contributing to an environmental emergency involving any of these substances.

Summary

CEPA 1999's Environmental Emergency Regulations are aimed at helping commercial and industrial facilities better prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from environmental emergencies.

Under the E2 Regulations, anyone using or storing a listed substance above the specified threshold, or who has a container with a capacity for that substance in excess of the specified quantity, will have to notify Environment Canada of the place where the substance is held, along with the maximum expected quantity and the size of the largest container for that substance. If both the criteria are exceeded, the regulatee is required to prepare and implement an environmental emergency plan and notify Environment Canada accordingly. An E2 plan documents ways to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from environmental emergencies caused by toxic or other hazardous substances.

Preparedness

Effective preparedness is built on trust and cooperation between all levels of government, industry and community. Through working together, they must accomplish five things:

• identify potential risks;
• document worst probable case and alternative scenarios identifying potential consequences;
• develop E2 plans to deal with the risks;
• train personnel to apply the E2 plans; and
• regularly review and practice these strategies.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

Quebec Contact(s):
Mr. Stéphane Grenon
Regional Environmental Emergency Coordinator
Environment Canada
Telephone: (514) 283-2345
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

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National Contact(s):
Mr. Asit Hazra
Chief
Emergencies Prevention Division
National Programs Directorate
Environmental Protection Service
Environment Canada
15th Floor
Place Vincent Massey
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3
Telephone: (819) 953-1140
Fax: (819) 997-5029
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

Mr. Kerry Ketcheson
Senior Program Officer - Prevention
Environmental Emergencies Branch
Environment Canada
15th Floor
Place Vincent Massey
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3
Telephone: (819) 953-2017
Fax: (819) 997-5029
E-mail: kerry.ketcheson2@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html