Revocation of Ontario Regulation 323/94 (Dry Cleaners) under the Environmental Protection Act

ERO number
019-0716
Notice type
Regulation
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
October 28, 2019 - November 27, 2019 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
October 28, 2019
to November 27, 2019

Decision summary

We are revoking Ontario Regulation 323/94 (Dry Cleaners) which required dry cleaning establishments to employ a person trained in the environmental management of contaminants and waste in connection with the operation of dry cleaning equipment. Revoking the regulation will reduce administrative burden and costs to small businesses in Ontario.

Decision details

The regulatory proposal was posted on the Environmental Registry between October 28, 2019 and November 27, 2019. No comments were received from stakeholders on this proposal, and a decision was made to revoke Ontario Regulation 323/94 under the Environmental Protection Act, effective January 2020.

The decision revokes Ontario Regulation 323/94: Dry Cleaners under the Environmental Protection Act. This will remove requirements under this regulation for dry cleaning businesses to undertake mandatory environmental management training, reducing administrative burden on small businesses.

Federal regulations introduced in 2003 resulted in federal inspections of Ontario dry cleaners using tetrachloroethylene, a dry-cleaning agent. These requirements have been effective at reducing environmental impacts, so provincial training requirements have become unnecessary

Dry cleaning facilities would continue to adhere to federal inspection and compliance requirements as well as provincial environmental requirements, such as Ontario’s Waste Management regulation (Ontario Regulation 347). In addition, dry cleaning facilities are required to comply with occupational health and safety standards established under the Ontario Health and Safety Act and associated regulations.

Educational resources on environmental impacts are available to dry cleaning owners and operators, such as compliance information available through the federal government and the City of Toronto.

Comments received

Through the registry

0

By email

0

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

No comments were received from any stakeholders in response to the proposal.

Supporting materials

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Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Climate Change Programs and Partnerships Branch
Address

40 St Clair Ave West
14th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

Office phone number

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-0716
Notice type
Regulation
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

October 28, 2019 - November 27, 2019 (30 days)

Proposal details

Ontario is proposing to revoke unnecessary regulations under the Environmental Protection Act regarding mandatory training requirements for dry cleaning businesses.

Revoking these requirements will reduce administrative burden and costs for Ontario businesses, while ensuring strong environmental protections.

Ontario Regulation 323/94 (O. Reg. 323/94) requires operators of dry cleaning establishments using dry cleaning equipment to employ a person trained in the management of contaminants and waste in connection with the operation of dry cleaning equipment. The trained person must have completed a training course within the last five years.

O. Reg. 323/94 applies to dry cleaning facilities that use perchloroethylene, methyl chloroform or petroleum solvents and requires them to have a trained person on staff.

In the nearly 25-year period since O. Reg. 323/94 was implemented, additional regulatory requirements have been introduced regarding the environmental management of dry cleaning establishments. These include:

  • A federal regulation introduced in 2003 that requires dry cleaners across Canada that use perchloroethylene specifically, to:
    • Have closed loop systems to reduce emissions of perchloroethylene to air and to manage the collection and disposal of residue and wastewater from the dry cleaning process. Many facilities replaced their dry cleaning equipment to comply with this requirement.
    • Report annually to Environment and Climate Change Canada on their equipment types, purchase of perchloroethylene, and the management of waste from the facility.
  • The federal regulation also imposes additional requirements on the businesses that supply perchloroethylene to dry cleaning establishments.
  • Municipal by-laws (e.g. City of Toronto) that require dry cleaning facilities to report on their use and release of toxics and to wastewater.

Dry cleaning facilities must continue to adhere to these federal and municipal requirements, in addition to on-going provincial requirements with respect to environmental protection and workplace health and safety, to ensure environmental and human health remain protected.

Reducing regulatory burden while maintaining strong environmental protections is part of our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan to balance a healthy environment with a healthy economy.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Climate Change Programs and Partnerships Branch
Address

40 St Clair Ave West
14th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

Office phone number

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from October 28, 2019
to November 27, 2019

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