Permits of equivalent levels of environmental safety
Under section 190 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the Minister has the authority to issue a permit of equivalent level of environmental safety (PELES). Such a permit can authorize an activity to be conducted in a manner that does not comply with the requirements of division 8, part 7 of CEPA regarding the control and movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable material.
To issue this type of permit, the Minister must be satisfied that the proposed activities provide a level of environmental safety that is at least equivalent to that provided by complying with the requirements of division 8 of CEPA. Such a variance from the regulations under specific conditions must be consistent with Canada’s international obligations and will be issued on a case-by-case basis.
To apply
An application for a PELES should be made in writing to DM-MD@ec.gc.ca and include the following:
- the name of the regulations and relevant section(s) of the regulations affected by the PELES
- a justification for the regulatory burden that the PELES seeks to relieve in relation to the sections of the regulation identified
- complete contact information for the applicant including a Canadian address and the name of a contact person
- a description of the applicant’s activities/procedures to illustrate what happens during a transboundary movement of hazardous waste or hazardous recyclable material under various scenarios
- a description of the hazardous waste or hazardous recyclable material being transported
- an explanation and justification of the mechanism or alternate activity to be used to provide a level of environmental safety that will be equivalent to that provided by the regulation
If you have any questions concerning PELES, please contact us at: DM-MD@ec.gc.ca
Current permits
| PELES | Permit holder | Issued | Expires | Hazardous waste | Variance to the Cross-Border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Regulations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC23-001 | Cirba Solutions Canada ULC. | April 27, 2023 | April 27, 2026 | Batteries, small electric and electronic devices | Subsections 79(b) and Sections 80(1), 80(2), 80(3), 80(4) and 80(5) |
| EC 24-001 | Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd. | October 31, 2024 | October 31, 2027 | Batteries, small electric and electronic devices, light tube or bulbs | Subsections 79(b), (c), (e) and Sections 80(1), 80(2), 80(3), 80(4) and 80(5) |
| EC 24-002 | Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. | October 31, 2024 | October 31, 2027 | Batteries, cell phones | Subsections 79(b), (c), (e) and Sections 80(1), 80(2), 80(3), 80(4) and 80(5) |
| EC 24-003 | Daniels Sharpsmart Canada Ltd. (DSCL) | October 31, 2024 | October 31, 2027 | Biomedical waste | Subsections 79(b) and Sections 80(1), 80(2), 80(3), 80(4) and 80(5) |
Under CEPA, individuals and companies are entitled to confidentiality. Where the Act or other legislation prohibits the disclosure of such information, it will be protected from disclosure.