Disposal of Substances at Sea

Act: Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, c. 33, S.C.
Regulation: Disposal at Sea Regulations, SOR/2001-275 and the Regulations Respecting Applications for Permits for Disposal at Sea SOR/2001-276; Supplementary Act: Financial Administration Act, S.C. 1991, c. 24, s.6; Regulation: Ocean Dumping Permit Fee Regulations (Site Monitoring), 1999, SOR/99 - 114

To Whom Does This Apply?

Only those substances listed in Schedule 5 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) may be considered for disposal at sea. These are:

• dredged material;
• fisheries waste;
• ships;
• inert geological matter;
• uncontaminated organic matter; and
• bulky substances.

Discharges from land or from normal ship operations (such as bilge water) are not considered disposal at sea, but are subject to other controls.

Eligible Activities

Deliberate disposal of approved substances at sea from:

• ships;
• aircraft;
• platforms; or
• other structures.

Summary

Environment Canada administers a permit system controlling the disposal of waste and other matter at sea. Each permit is granted following a detailed assessment and sets conditions to protect the marine environment and human health.

Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) disposal at sea is the deliberate disposal of approved substances at sea from ships, aircraft, platforms or other structures. Each year in Canada, two to three million tonnes of material are disposed of at sea under this system of permits that has been in place since 1975.

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):
Atlantic Disposal at Sea Office
Disposal at Sea Program
Environmental Protection Branch
Environment Canada
Queen Square
45 Alderney Drive
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia  B2Y 2N6
Fax: 902-426-3897
E-mail: sea-mer@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

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National Contact(s):
Inquiry Centre of Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Place Montcalm
70 Crémazie Street
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-997-2800
Fax: 819-994-1412
Toll-free (information): 1-800-668-6767
TTY (hearing impaired): 819-994-0736
E-mail: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

Mr. Jim Osborne
Marine Environment Branch
Environment Canada
12th Floor
Place Vincent Massey
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-953-2265
Fax: 819-953-0913
E-mail: sea-mer@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html