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Marine pollutants are dangerous goods that are harmful or toxic to aquatic life, humans, or ecosystems if they are released during transport.
The transportation of marine pollutants is regulated under Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Scope
The consignor is responsible for properly classifying dangerous goods and certifying that the dangerous goods, including marine pollutants, are properly packaged, classified, and identified.
Regulatory citations
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, Part 2.8
Key definitions
- Shipping document: A document that relates to dangerous goods that are being handled, offered for transport or transported and that contains the information required by Part 3, Documentation. relating to the goods but does not include an electronic record.
- Shipping name: An entry in upper case letters (capitals) in column 2 of Schedule 1, but does not include any lower case descriptive text except for the purpose of determining the classification of dangerous goods.
Summary of requirements
Part II, Classification of the TDG Regulations, has the following definition for a marine pollutant:
- The letter “P” (marine pollutant) is set out in column 4 of Schedule 3 for the substance; or
- The substance meets the criteria for classification as a marine pollutant in accordance with section 2.9.3 or chapter 2.10 of the IMDG Code.
When a shipping name has opposite it in Column 10 of Schedule 1 the symbol “.”, the consignor must determine if the substance to be transported under the shipping name is a marine pollutant or a severe marine pollutant.
A shipping name may cover several distinct substances, one may be a marine pollutant; others are not. In this case, the shipping name has opposite it the symbol “.”. Depending upon the actual substance, the requirements related to a marine pollutant may apply.
Marine pollutants and severe marine pollutants are required to be identified on a shipping document in Part III, Documentation, and on a means of containment in Part IV, Dangerous Goods Safety Marks.
In addition to the standard information on a shipping document, when marine pollutants are transported via vessel, the shipping document must also include the words “marine pollutant” or “polluant marin” and, for a pesticide that is a marine pollutant, the name and concentration of the most active substance in the pesticide.
Marine pollutant marking. In addition to the requirements for placards and UN numbers, the marine pollutant mark must be displayed for marine pollutants in transport by vessel:
- Small means of containment: Next to the primary class label for the dangerous goods or, if there is a subsidiary class label, next to the subsidiary class label; and
- Large means of containment: On each side and each end next to the placard displayed for the dangerous goods.
The marine pollutant mark is not required when marine pollutants are:
- On board a road vehicle or railway vehicle on a ro-ro ship; or
- Contained in:
- A small means of containment and in a quantity less than or equal to 5 liters for a liquid marine pollutant or 5 kilograms for a solid marine pollutant; or
- A large means of containment and:
- Are in a quantity that is less than or equal to 500 kilograms;
- Are transported by vessel on a domestic voyage; and
- The large means of containment does not contain Class 1, Explosives, other than explosives included in Class 1.4, Class 5.2, Organic Peroxides, Class 6.1, Toxic Substances, or Class 7, Radioactive Materials.
Marine pollutants exemption. Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, Part 3 (Documentation) and Part 4 (Dangerous Goods Safety Marks) do not apply to substances that are classified as marine pollutants if they are in transport solely on land by road vehicle or railway vehicle. However, substances may be identified as marine pollutants on a shipping document and the required dangerous goods safety marks may be displayed when they are in transport by road or railway vehicle.