GI-2023-51-reg1: Regulations Amending the PCB Regulations and the Regulations Designating Regulatory Provisions for Purposes of Enforcement (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999)

The sectors most affected are nuclear facilities, coal-fired electrical generation facilities scheduled to close by December 31, 2029, and museums holding historically significant PCB-containing objects. Coal-fired plant operators who want an extension past the original December 31, 2025 deadline must apply to the Minister of Environment, prepare a closure plan, and continue annual reporting — at an estimated administrative cost of about $42 per company per year (roughly 11 hours of staff time). Nuclear facilities and museums gain automatic exemptions without needing to apply, saving them the one-time cost of removing, transporting, and destroying PCB equipment or objects prematurely. All affected parties must maintain up-to-date inventories and submit annual reports by March 31 each year. Any business currently diluting PCB oil to avoid the 50 mg/kg destruction threshold is now explicitly prohibited from doing so and faces enforcement risk.