Substance prohibition summary: hexabromocyclododecane

Context

Hexabromocyclododecane, which has the molecular formula C₁₂H₁₈Br₆ (HBCD), and certain products containing HBCD are subject to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 as amended in 2016, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

Prohibited activities

The regulations prohibit the import, manufacture, use, sale and offer for sale of HBCD, and expanded and extruded polystyrene (EPS and XPS) foam and their intermediary products containing HBCD for building or construction applications, with a limited number of exemptions. This prohibition is in effect as of January 1, 2017.

Exemptions

The regulations do not prohibit:

• the import, manufacture, use, sale and offer for sale of HBCD or a EPS or XPS foam product containing it, if HBCD is incidentally present^Footnote1 [subsection 4(1)]
• the import, manufacture, use, sale and offer for sale of products that contain HBCD other than EPS or XPS foams and their intermediary products for a building or construction application [subsection 4(3)]
• the use, sale or offer for sale of:
  • HBCD that was manufactured or imported before January 1, 2017 [subsection 4.1(1)]
  • EPS and XPS foams and their intermediary products that contain HBCD, for a building or construction application, if manufactured or imported before January 1, 2017 [subsection 4.1(2)]

Permits

The regulations do not allow for permits for HBCD.

Laboratory uses

• the prohibition does not apply to listed toxic substances, or to any products containing them, that are to be used in a laboratory for analysis, in scientific research or as a laboratory analytical standard [subsection 3(1)]
• users of any listed toxic substance or product containing it for the above purposes are required to report the information set out in Schedule 3 to the Minister before the use of more than 10 grams of each substance each calendar year [subsections 3(2) and 3(3)]   

More information on the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 can be found on the CEPA registry.

More information

Inquiries on the prohibition regulations can be made by emailing ec.interdiction-prohibition.ec@canada.ca or by phoning the Environment and Climate Change Canada Inquiry Centre at:

1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only) or 819-938-3860
Fax: 819-938-9423