Just go this yesterday from the Government, looks like they are going to blindly follow the U.S. Could well be the end of imports in Cananda but likely not for a couple of years.
Re: Consultations on draft regulatory text to amend the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations and the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
Madam, Sir,
Purpose
The purpose of this letter is to seek your input on draft regulatory texts to amend the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations and the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). The planned amendments are intended to maintain alignment of Canadian standards and test procedures for controlling emissions of smog-forming air pollutants with those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
It is important to note that the attached draft regulatory texts are not official and may be subject to changes until pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I. Nonetheless, your comments would be appreciated on any technical issues associated with the structure of the planned amendments before proceeding with the pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I. The pre-publication will be followed by a 60-day formal consultation period, during which interested parties will have another opportunity to make written comments specific to the proposals.
Background
The Government recognizes that the combustion of fossil fuels to power onÂroad and off-road vehicles and engines is an important contributor to air pollution in Canada. Environment Canada intends to develop and implement a series of new regulations to further reduce air pollution from vehicles and engines in alignment with world-leading national standards of the U.S. EPA. In Canada, there are currently regulations to control air pollutant emissions from on-road vehicles and engines (i.e., such as passenger cars and trucks, motorcycles, buses and transport type vehicles including those powered by diesel engines), off-road small spark-ignition engines (i.e., such as those used in lawn, garden, light-duty industrial and light-duty logging machines) and off-road compression-ignition engines (i.e., diesel engines such as those used in construction, mining, farming and forestry machines). The Government has already published proposed new regulations to establish stringent air pollutant standards applicable to off-road recreational vehicles and engines (i.e., such as outboard engines, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles) which it plans to finalize later this year.
Through this current consultation, Environment Canada is providing stakeholders an early opportunity to provide input on the draft regulatory text designed to carry out the Government’s plans to amend the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations to require on-board diagnostics systems for on-road heavy duty engines and to amend the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations to maintain alignment with more stringent U.S federal standards for off-road diesel engines, as described in more detail below.
For more details on the existing regulations that are being modified please consult the following links:
* On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/CEPARegistry/regulations/detailReg.cfm?intReg=65 * Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/CEPARegistry/regulations/detailReg.cfm?intReg=88 Drafts of the proposed Regulations Amending the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations, the proposed Regulations Amending the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations and documents that explain the proposed changes are attached.
Submission of Comments
Please submit any comments on the draft amendments by November 13th, 2009 to:
Josée Lavergne
Chief, Regulatory Development Section
Transportation Division
Energy and Transportation Directorate
Environment Canada
351 St-Joseph Blvd
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3
josee.lavergne@ec.gc.ca
Contact Person:
If you have any questions or require clarification on the planned regulatory amendments, please contact:
Jean-François Roy: (819) 956-9747 or
jean-francois.roy@ec.gc.ca
Sincerely,
Allan Van Dyk
Director, Transportation Division
Environmental Stewardship Branch