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Federal regulationCanada Gazette, Part IComment Period Closed

Regulations Amending the PCB Regulations and the Regulations Designating Regulatory Provisions for Purposes of Enforcement (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999)

Sponsoring body: Environment, Dept. of the, and Dept. of HealthIntroduced December 23, 2023Last checked August 15, 2026
Read the official text on gazette.gc.caOfficial version — Canada Gazette, Part I

What this regulation does

These amendments update Canada's PCB Regulations to grant deferrals and new exemptions allowing certain organizations — nuclear facilities, coal-fired power plants closing by 2029, the Department of National Defence, and museums — to continue using or storing PCB-containing equipment beyond existing deadlines, while also clarifying that diluting PCB oil to lower its concentration to avoid disposal requirements is prohibited.

Plain-language summary by Legisail.

Business impact

Compliance
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.

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Where this regulation is

Proposed
Comment period closed
Final publicationPending

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At a glance

Comment deadline
February 21, 2024
Jurisdiction
Federal
Official record