On December 31, 2025, the Government of Canada published amendments to the federal Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Regulations. These amendments introduced new timelines and flexibility for managing legacy PCB-containing equipment, particularly in certain sectors.
Why Update PCB Regulations?
PCBs are a group of highly-persistent synthetic chemical compounds historically used as coolants, insulators, and lubricants in electrical and industrial equipment. Although banned for new uses decades ago due to their toxicity and environmental persistence, PCBs still exist in some legacy equipment.
Under the original PCB Regulations, owners were required to end the use of equipment containing PCBs as well as storage of PCBs, by set deadlines. The end-of-use deadlines varied by PCB concentration level and industry, with some uses having to be phased out by December 31, 2009 but many by December 31, 2025.
As a result, strong progress has been made in phasing out PCB equipment and destroying PCBs in Canada.
However, some industry stakeholders found it difficult to fully comply with the required changes by the December 31, 2025 deadline. To address their concerns, amendments were made to the regulations, as part of the government’s Red Tape Reduction project.
Key Changes in the Amendments
Below is a breakdown of key updates to the regulations.
- Extension of the end-of-use deadline. PCB-containing equipment that was slated for end-of-use by December 31, 2025 (e.g., many electrical transformers, ballasts, capacitors) may now remain in active use until December 31, 2026. This one-year extension will give owners more time to plan and complete decommissioning, destruction, or replacement without jeopardizing safety or reliability of services provided.
- Case-by-case extensions beyond 2026. Recognizing that some equipment may still be difficult to replace by the new 2026 deadline, the amendments allow for a case-by-case extension process. Owners may apply to the Minister of Environment for authorization to continue using specific PCB-containing equipment beyond December 31, 2026 in situations where technical or economic constraints make meeting that deadline unfeasible.
- Flexibility for Special Circumstances. The amendments also address the need for flexibility when it comes to specific types of PCB-containing equipment and objects. Specifically, PCBs will be allowed to remain in use beyond December 31, 2026 under specific circumstances in nuclear facilities, military equipment, and museums so long as all necessary measures have been taken to minimize or eliminate harmful effects on the environment and human health.
- Nuclear facilities will be permitted to use equipment containing PCBS if the equipment contains radioactive PCBs or is located in a radioactive space.
- Military equipment containing any level of PCBs can continue to be used if the equipment is owned by His Majesty in right of Canada and no alternative equipment can be substituted.
- Museums will be permitted to possess objects containing PCBs in any concentration for display or research purposes if: the object was already in their possession on December 31, 2025; the object has historical value; it is impossible to remove the PCBs without destroying the object; and the area where the object is kept has a fire suppression system.
- Clarification About Diluting. It continues to be prohibited to mix PCB-containing substances with other materials for the purpose of diluting PCB concentrations (to circumvent the regulations). However, the amendments now allow the mixing of PCBs with other substances when necessary to service PCB-containing equipment or destroy the PCBs.
Reporting Considerations
Owners that continue to use equipment containing PCBs during the extension year or beyond should be aware of reporting obligations, including the requirement to notify the Minister before April 30, 2026 that the equipment is still in use. For details, be sure to review the amendment document here.
Looking Ahead
A year-long extension may feel like a long time, but it will go by quickly. Affected businesses and facility owners should prioritize:
- Reviewing inventory of PCB-containing equipment and objects, maintaining required documentation, and submitting reports on time;
- Applying early for extensions where needed; and
- Preparing for final phase-outs well ahead of deadlines.
Need Help with PCB Destruction?
Currently, Aevitas is the only company in Canada with the ability to provide nationwide collection and disposal service for PCB-contaminated materials, with in-house recycling of insulating oils and electrical equipment.
If you need assistance with identifying PCB contamination or are ready to ship, contact us today. Aevitas has over 30 years experience with a successful track record for managing all types of PCB-contaminated materials for electrical companies, institutional, and commercial organizations. We offer:
- PCB analysis (CALA certified)
- Draining transformer oil from substations
- On-site dismantling of large electrical equipment
- ·Recycling of spent transformer oil
- Oil replacement/retrofilling to reduce PCB levels/improve oil quality
- PCB destruction
- PCB contaminated solids waste management
- PCB contaminated soil and concrete disposal
- Dedicated fleet providing safe and secure transportation of PCB waste
- Specialized shipping containers for large bushings
- Metal credit for most low-level PCB contaminated transformers
- Certificate of PCB Destruction
On average, the PCB experts at Aevitas safely transport and properly destroy over 5 million kilograms of PCB-contaminated equipment each year.