Canadian manufacturers and importers of chemicals, polymers, bio-chemicals, bio-polymers, organisms, micro-organisms and micro-organisms other than organisms.
Manufacturing and importing of chemicals, polymers, bio-chemicals, bio-polymers, organisms, micro-organisms and micro-organisms other than organisms.
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) provides the federal government with authority to address substances that may become toxic on land, in water, and through all layers of the atmosphere. As part of a "cradle to grave" management approach to toxic substances, the provisions for substances new to Canada in CEPA 1999 are intended to ensure that no new substance is introduced into the Canadian marketplace before an assessment of whether it is "toxic" has been completed. "Toxic", as defined in CEPA 1999, refers to risk to human health or the environment.
Features of the new substances program include criteria for identifying "new substances", a mechanism for assessing new substances, and, when necessary, the enabling powers to implement specific controls. The New Substances Division conducts environmental risk assessments of substances that are new to Canada, including those that are biotechnology products, by implementing the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers) [NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers)] and the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) [NSNR (Organisms)] of CEPA 1999.
Applicants must submit an application with the supporting documentation (as specified in the Regulations) to the New Substances Division prior to manufacturing or importing a new substance. An applicant can request a notification form by contacting the number listed below, or by visiting the New Substances Web site.
Ranging from 5 to 120 days, depending on the notification schedule submitted.
Ranging from $200 to $3 500, depending on the notification schedule submitted. Also, at this time, there are no fees for products of biotechnology (i.e., bio-chemicals, bio-polymers, organisms, micro-organisms and micro-organisms other than organisms).
For more information, consult the Guidelines for the Notification and Testing of New Substances (Chemicals and Polymers or Organisms) available from the Environmental Protection Publications Centre or by downloading the document from the New Substances' Web site.
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.
New Brunswick Contact(s):
New Substances Notification Program Officer
Environmental Protection Branch
Environment Canada
5th Floor
Queen Square
45 Alderney Drive
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 2N6
Telephone: 902-426-8927
Fax: 902-426-3897
Toll-free (information): 1-800-567-1999
E-mail: nsn-atl@ec.gc.ca
Web site:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html