Off-Road Small Spark-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations upcoming changes

The Regulations Amending the Off-Road Small Spark-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations and Making a Consequential Amendment to Another Regulation was recently published in Oct 2017 in Part II of the Canada Gazette.

The new updated regulations will affect manufacturers, distributors, and importers of SSI engines.

These engines are defined as those off-road engines using a spark plug or other sparking device and producing no more than 19 kW of power. Small spark-ignition engines are typically found in lawn and garden machines (hedge trimmers, brush cutters, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, garden tractors, snow blowers, etc.), in light-duty industrial machines (generator sets, welders, pressure washers, etc.), and in light-duty logging machines (chainsaws, log splitters, shredders, etc.).

The following changes are noted in the amendments:

  1. Establish more stringent standards in Canada for emissions of air pollutants from the exhaust systems of engines designed to be used in non-handheld machines.
  2. Introduce standards in Canada for emissions of air pollutants due to the evaporation of fuel from the fuel systems of engines designed to be used in handheld and non-handheld machines.
  3. Changes to some administrative practices, such as reducing the frequency of submission of importation declarations for Canadian companies that import SSI engines.
  4. Modify the requirements related to the submission of declarations. Companies importing 50 or more engines in a calendar year will only be required to submit one annual declaration to the Minister
  5. Introduce a requirement for a unique identification number to be present on every prescribed SSI engine.
  6. To modify the labelling requirements to facilitate the identification of prescribed SSI engines. Any engine that is not covered by an EPA certificate of conformity and not sold concurrently in Canada and the U.S. will require a unique Canadian label

The Amendments come into force on March 22, 2018, applying more stringent standards for air pollutant emissions to the 2019 and later model year SSI engines in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the amendment to the Regulations is available on Environment and Climate Change Canada website.

For more information contact:
Regulatory Administration Section
Transportation Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 St. Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3
Phone number: 819-420-4216
Email address: ec.infovehiculeetmoteur-vehicleandengineinfo.ec@canada.ca