Why are standards for thinners and solvents considered to be a priority for the Government of Canada?
- Some standards for thinners and solvents have been created to help prevent safety hazards associated with the storage of these products.
- Thinners and solvents may be stored in tanks located on federal lands or Aboriginal lands, and need to be appropriately managed to help avoid leaks and spills.
- Through the Standards Council of Canada’s (SCC’s) leadership, updated standards will help the federal government maintain the relevance of standards referenced in regulations and ensure best practices.
Which standards are being updated?
- CGSB 1-GP-124 Thinner for Vinyl Coatings
- CAN/CGSB-1.70-91 High Solvency Thinner
- CAN/CGSB-1.164-92 Solvent for Vinyl Pretreatment Coating
- CAN/CGSB-1.4-92 Petroleum Spirits Thinner
- CAN/CGSB-1.110-91 General Purpose Thinner For Lacquers
- CGSB 1-GP-136 Thinner, Antiblush, for Cellulose Nitrate Lacquer
- CGSB 3-GP-855 Ethylene Glycol, Uninhibited
- CGSB 15-GP-52 Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Technical Grade
- CGSB 21.1-93 Offset Lithographic Printing Ink
- CGSB 15-GP-50 Acetone, Technical
The 10 standards being updated are referenced in Environment Canada’s Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulations (SOR/2008-197).
How do the standards benefit Canadians?
- Thousands of storage tank systems containing petroleum products and allied petroleum products – including thinners and solvents – have been installed on federal lands over the past several decades. Ensuring that these products are stored appropriately reduces the risk of leaks and helps protect the environment and human health.
- Standards for thinners and solvents help identify products that could be stored in storage tanks, by defining the relative composition and requirements for these products.
- Leaks of thinners and solvents can result in significant environmental damage, as well as in soil and groundwater contamination. Standards that support instruments for reducing soil and groundwater contamination achieve significant cost savings for Canadians.
Which key organizations are involved?
- Environment Canada protects the environment, conserves the country's natural heritage and provides weather and meteorological information to keep Canadians informed and safe.
- Canadian General Standards Board is an SCC-accredited standards development organization responsible for updating the standards.
- The Standards Council of Canada provides funding to ensure that updated standards are available for government and industry use in Canada.