| GATINEAU, QUEBEC -- July 9, 2009 -- The word is now official. The new regulations governing automotive refinish products, Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Automotive Refinishing Products Regulations, have been published in Canada Gazette Part II. The regulations will come into force on June 18, 2010, one year after being registered with the Clerk of the Privy Council. There will also be an additional six-month sell-through period after that date. In other words, no sales of non-compliant materials will be permitted after December 18, 2010. As outlined in Canada Gazette Part II:
"The sell-through period is intended to provide the industry with time to sell automotive refinishing products manufactured or imported and to provide sufficient time to all repair shops to transition to low VOC automobile refinishing products prior to the coming into force date as set out in the Regulations. This change is expected to allow automotive repair shops adequate time to convert their equipment to use low VOC automotive refinishing products.
These revisions to the coming into force dates of the Regulations have been made in response to comments from industry."
"The Government of Canada is serious about cleaning up the air to protect the environment and health of Canadians, "said Canada's Environment Minister, Jim Prentice. "This is one of a series of regulations we are putting in place to reduce VOC emissions from everyday consumer and commercial products."
The regulations are expected to reduce the annual amount of VOCs emitted from automotive refinishing products by an average of 40 percent.
To read Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Automotive Refinishing Products Regulations in Canada Gazette Part II, please click here. The original regulations, as published in Canada Gazette Part I, can be found here.
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