Domestic Substances List(DSL)

The Domestic Substances List (DSL) is an inventory of substances manufactured in, or imported into Canada on a commercial scale. It was originally published in the Canada Gazette Part II on May 4, 1994 and included approximately 23 000 substances deemed to have been in Canadian commerce between January 1984 and December 1986. The DSL consists of 8 parts, in which substances are divided based on substance type (chemicals and polymers or inanimate products of biotechnology and living organisms), confidentiality, and whether the SNAc provisions of CEPA have been applied. The DSL is amended, on average, 12 times per year to add, update or delete substances. It now contains more than 28 000 substances. Substances not on the DSL are considered new to Canada.

Listed substance: Not required to submit notification unless it is subject to significant new activity (SNAc) requirements.

Not listed substance: Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), any person (individual or corporation) manufacturing a new substance in or importing a new substance into Canada must provide a new substances notification.