Ontario government’s efforts to streamline regulation for the chemistry and plastics industry welcomed by CIAC
October 08, 2020
The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) congratulates the Ontario government and the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction on releasing the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020.
CIAC firmly supports the Ontario government’s commitment to streamline duplicate regulations that impact the competitiveness of the chemicals and plastics manufacturing sectors. These measures will eliminate unnecessary cost, complexity and time, while protecting Ontarian’s health and the environment.
Among the initiatives contained in the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020., CIAC is very pleased to see the province:
Protect the environment and the people of Ontario by improving hazardous waste reporting
- Making it easier for businesses to submit reports electronically instead of the current outdated system, which requires businesses to submit over 450,000 paper manifests to the Ministry of the Environment.
Address low-risk nuisance incidents
- Update Ontario’s land use compatibility planning guidelines to help municipalities prevent new residences or other incompatible land uses from being approved near sites and industries that may create noise or odour impacts.
Support innovation and recover the value of waste
- Committing to further engagement to support a strong circular economy and reduce the amount of waste going to landfills through the use of innovative technologies and processes such as advanced recycling and energy recovery technologies to help ensure valuable resources such as hard-to-recycle plastics can have a beneficial use, such as feedstocks for new plastics and synthetic fuels.
Alternate rules for the Operating Engineers regulation
- Implementing alternate rules for businesses that use boilers or pressure vessels to produce their goods and services, as well as for operating engineers who run the facilities while maintaining strong commitment to ensuring public safety.
Consultations on proposed amendments for Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews (PSR)
- Continuing consultations aimed at amending the current Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews PSR requirements for certain equipment and processes in factories to ensure they continue to reflect the realities of today’s workplaces.
Any action by CIAC members to address the environmental, economic and community impacts of our operations are governed by Responsible Care®, the UN-recognized initiative that ensures CIAC members innovate for safer and greener products and processes, and work to continuously improve their environmental, health and safety performance. Through the Responsible Care commitment, CIAC’s Ontario members have achieved a 47 per cent reduction in emissions targeted by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act over the past 10 years.
Ontario’s $24.3-billion chemistry industry is the third-largest manufacturing industry in the province, directly nearly 46,000 Ontarians in well-paying jobs and supporting another 230,000 Ontario jobs in other sectors. Our members are key employers in the Sarnia-Lambton, GTA/Niagara and Eastern Ontario regions of the province. We provide important inputs to a range of key manufacturing sectors including automotive, forest products, construction, and food and beverage. Ontario chemistry sector accounts for 44 per cent of the nation’s chemistry output. Additionally, Ontario’s plastics manufacturing sector is a $18 billion industry, directly employing over 49,000 Ontarians within 800 different businesses. These sectors provides important inputs to a range of manufacturing sectors including automotive, forestry, construction, and food and beverage.
CIAC is pleased to continue to work with the government on the many priorities to modernize business regulations to be outcome-focused and evidence-based while continuing to protect the public interest.