Petroleum substances

Remaining priority petroleum substances

There are approximately 210 remaining priority petroleum substances that have been identified as priority substances to be addressed.

Petroleum Sector Stream Approach

Under the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP), the petroleum sector stream approach included approximately 160 substances identified as priorities for action through the categorization process and that were set aside to be addressed in a sectoral approach. A large portion of high priority petroleum substances are used or manufactured during petroleum refining or bitumen / heavy crude oil upgrading activities.

Initial information gathering has allowed the triage of approximately 160 petroleum sector stream approach substances into 5 streams based on their production and uses:

  • Stream 0- substances not produced by the petroleum sector;
  • Stream 1- site-restricted substances, which are substances that are not expected to be transported off refinery, upgrader or natural gas processing facility sites;
  • Stream 2- industry-restricted substances, which are substances that may leave a petroleum-sector facility and be transported to other industrial facilities (for example, for use as a feedstock, fuel or blending component), but that do not reach the public market in the form originally acquired;
  • Stream 3- substances that are primarily used by industries and consumers as fuels;
  • Stream 4- substances that may be present in products available to the consumer.

There are approximately 210 remaining priority petroleum substances which have been identified as priority substances to be addressed.

Screening assessments and risk management documents

Under the CMP, the Government of Canada plans to assess and manage, where appropriate, the potential health and ecological risks associated with certain petroleum substances under CEPA 1999. Click on the links below to access risk assessment and risk management documents for each stream of the petroleum sector stream approach.

Background

In December 2006, the Government of Canada announced the CMP. A key element of the CMP was the petroleum sector stream approach which included approximately 160 petroleum substances that are considered high priority to be addressed under a sectoral approach because of the following considerations:

  • the group consists of a large number of substances
  • the substances are primarily related to the petroleum sector
  • they are complex mixtures

The Government of Canada developed a plan that included data collection, assessment of the substances, and development of risk management instruments, if required.

2008 Mandatory survey - section 71 notice

In March 2008, a notice was issued Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 142, No. 10 - March 8, 2008 that applied to 145 of the approximately 160 substances (data was already available for the others). The deadline for submission of information under the 2008 mandatory section 71 notice was July 15, 2008.

This exercise also identified the companies that manufacture or acquire each substance, and obtained quantity ranges for these activities, in a tiered approach. Upon examination of information on their production and uses, the high priority petroleum substances were triaged into the 5 streams.

2009 Mandatory survey - section 71 notice

In July 2009, a second information gathering notice was issued in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 143, No. 30 - July 25, 2009, that applied to 52 of the approximately 160 substances, which were thought to be transported in Canada.  The deadline for submission of information under the 2009 mandatory section 71 notice was September 23, 2009.

2011 Mandatory survey - section 71 notice

In December 2011, a third information gathering notice was issued in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 145, No. 51 - December 17, 2011 that applied to 63 of the approximately 160 substances, which were thought to be present in consumer products in Canada. An amendment to Section 2 of Schedule 2 of the notice was subsequently published in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 146, No. 13 - March 31, 2012. The deadline for submission of information under the 2011 mandatory section 71 notice was May 18, 2012.

2015 Mandatory survey - section 71 notice

In July 2015, a fourth information gathering notice was issued in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 149, No. 30 - July 25, 2015 that applied to 70 priority petroleum substances on the Domestic Substances List (DSL). The deadline for submission of information under the 2015 mandatory section 71 notice was October 20, 2015.

2018 Mandatory survey - section 71 notice

In December 2018, a fifth information gathering notice was issued in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 152, No. 48 – December 1, 2018. The deadline for submission of information under this 2018 mandatory section 71 notice is March 14, 2019. More information about this notice is available on the Stream 0 web page.

For those parts of the petroleum sector not subject to the notices, research and voluntary submissions were used to collect this type of information and any other relevant information.

Submissions received for the Petroleum Sector Stream Approach
Approximate number Type of information submitted
21 Responses to the 2008 mandatory section 71 notice.
2 Requests granted for extension of the deadline for the 2008 mandatory section 71 notice.
1 Expressions of "Stakeholder Interest" in PSSA substances in the 2008 mandatory section 71 notice.
12 Responses to the 2009 mandatory section 71 notice.
0 Requests granted for extension of the deadline for the 2009 mandatory section 71 notice.
0 Expressions of "Stakeholder Interest" in PSSA substances in the 2009 mandatory section 71 notice.
238 Responses to the 2011 mandatory section 71 notice.
90 Requests granted for extension of the deadline for the 2011 mandatory section 71 notice.
51 Expressions of "Stakeholder Interest" in PSSA substances in the 2011 mandatory section 71 notice.
64 Responses to the 2015 mandatory section 71 notice.
65 Requests granted for extension of the deadline for the 2015 mandatory section 71 notice.
21 Expressions of "Stakeholder Interest" in petroleum substances in the 2015 mandatory section 71 notice.

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