Current status: OPEN
Open on November 19, 2024, and will be closed on January 19, 2025.
Background
On January 1, 2020, the Global Sulphur Cap came into effect limiting the acceptable amount of sulphur in marine vessel fuel to 0.50%, down from 3.5%. International guidelines allow vessels to meet emission standards in other ways, including by installing scrubber systems.
An exhaust gas cleaning system (or “scrubber”) is a system that reduces the pollution released into the air. On vessels, these systems are used to “scrub” sulphur pollutants from a vessel’s engine exhaust by rinsing it with water and releasing the scrubber discharge or washwater overboard. In Canada, scrubbers can be used by vessels to comply with international sulphur emission requirements, without switching to fuels which have less sulphur but are more expensive. In recent years, concerns have been raised about the potential impacts of vessel scrubber discharges on the marine environment.
Join in: how to participate
Register online at Let’s Talk Transportation and share your comments on our discussion questions or upload a document through the Submissions tab.
Send us an email
Send us your comments via email to MSSRegulations-ReglementsSSM@tc.gc.ca and include “Scrubber Systems in Canada” in the subject line.
Attend a meeting
To join our mailing list and get information about upcoming consultation meetings, please email MSSRegulations-ReglementsSSM@tc.gc.ca with your name, organization or position, and your email address.
Who is the focus of this consultation
Transport Canada wants to understand the public’s opinion on vessels using scrubber systems in Canadian waters. We want to hear from you about potential impacts from changes to existing requirements and what barriers may keep vessel owners from adopting these changes.
Your opinion and feedback are important.
Transport Canada wants to hear from the shipping and cruise industries that are using scrubbers or have used them in the past, as well as environmental non-governmental organizations, Indigenous groups and the Canadian public .
Please share your views freely. Participating will help shape Canadian marine environment regulations in the future.
Key questions for discussion
- Do you think Transport Canada should implement restrictions on scrubber system discharge from vessels in Canadian waters? Why or why not?
- What factors should be considered when exploring a timeline for the introduction of potential restrictions on scrubber discharge from vessels and why?
- Is there anything else that Transport Canada should consider about vessels using scrubber systems, including when exploring potential restrictions?
Contact us
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N8