Bulletin FT 2-2010
Published: July 2010
Content last reviewed: April 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4249-7838-0 (Print), 978-1-4249-7840-3 (PDF), 978-1-4249-7839-7 (HTML)

  • The information in this bulletin provides the procedures to be followed, by registered dyers, when a coloured fuel dye injector fails to properly colour fuel. A listing of Ministry of Finance contacts, available for assistance throughout the province, is also provided.
  • This bulletin provides general information only and is does not replace the Fuel Tax Act and its regulations.

What is coloured fuel?

Coloured fuel is middle distillate, for example diesel fuel, intended for non taxable purposes, such as home heating or to power unlicensed farm or construction equipment. Red dye is injected into clear fuel by a registered dyer (an agent of the Minister of Finance) to produce coloured fuel on which tax will not be collected and to distinguish it from clear tax-paid fuel.

When to notify the Minister

A dyer must immediately report to the Minister any malfunction or breakdown of the dye equipment. The fuel dyer may also be required to hand dye any product under its control that does not conform to the standards established by the Minister. See Regulation 464, R.R.O. 1990, under the Fuel Tax Act for details.

What to do

Procedure if Coloured Fuel Dye Injector Malfunctions at a Terminal

  1. Disable the affected coloured fuel loading arm;
  2. Contact the Ministry of Finance Inspection section to request authorization to "break the seal" on the faulty equipment (see Ministry contact information below);
  3. If your call is not answered, leave a voicemail message detailing the following:
    1. Collector Name
    2. Terminal Location
    3. Injector Number
    4. Time of Malfunction
    5. Terminal Operator Name
    6. Nature of the incident (why it happened? – if known)
    7. Your request for authorization to "break the seal".
  4. Take fuel sample(s) from affected deliveries (i.e. mixed fuel in tankwagon compartments);
  5. If samples appear to be coloured but below specifications (160 ppm), add Ontario dyestuff at a rate of one litre of dye per 5555 litres of fuel;
  6. Proceed to repair the injector;
  7. When the Ministry of Finance inspector arrives they will:
    1. inspect the remedial action taken;
    2. check/copy documents such as loading tickets, bills of lading, delivery invoices, repair reports/invoice;
    3. ensure the injector is working properly;
    4. pick up or obtain samples of coloured fuel for quality assurance testing.

The registered dyer is responsible for ensuring that coloured fuel is coloured to the specifications established by the Minister, manually adding dye if necessary. In a case where, through mechanical failure, clear fuel has been loaded into an empty compartment when coloured fuel was requested, the product must either be hand dyed or rebranded to clear fuel and fuel tax charged accordingly.

Ministry contact information

In the information that follows you will find the name and phone number of your Ministry contact and an alternate. If neither is available please leave a message with details of your dye injector breakdown.

Find your district on the map below and your contact in the list that follows:

find your district map
find your district map

Districts

District 1

North: Ottawa River.
South: St. Lawrence River.
East: Quebec.
West: From Arnprior then south along Hwys 29 and 15 to Smith Falls, east to Spencerville and south along Hwy 416 to the United States border.

District 2

North: Ottawa River from Arnprior to the west boundary of Renfrew County.
South: St Lawrence River from Hwy 416 to Sandhurst on Lake Ontario (southeast of Napanee)
East: Hwy 416 north to Spencerville, west to Smith Falls, north on Hwy 15 and 29 to Arnprior.
West: From Sandhurst on Lake Ontario north to Napanee and along the west boundaries of Lennox and Addington and Renfrew counties north to Algonquin Park. North across the park to Nipissing's east border and to Quebec.

District 3

North: North boundary of Algonquin Park.
South: Lake Ontario.
East: From the east peninsula of Quinte (off Sandhurst) and north along Hastings County from Napanee to Barry's Bay. Along the Renfrew west boundary to Algonquin Park and across the park to the west limit of Renfrew.
West: South along the west park border, south on Hwy 60 then Hwy 35 to Lake Ontario.

District 5

East: Hwy 35 from Lake Ontario to Lindsay.
North: Hwy 7 west from Lindsay to Hwy 12. North to Beaverton and west along south shore of Simcoe to Cook's Bay.
West: South on Regional Road 12 to Regional Road 31. West to the 407. South along 407 to Lake Ontario at Oakville.

Contact Inspector Peter Ferkl at 905 244-0275

District 6

North: Tobermory.
West: Lake Huron.
South: From Goderich southeast on Hwy 8 to Clinton then south on Hwy 4 thru London to 401 exit 186, east on Hwy 401 to exit 268 beyond Ayr.
East: From Hwy 9 at Mono Mills north on regional road 18 and 43 to Hwy 26 at the beach.

Contact Inspector Ken Henderson at 519 281-7819

District 7

North: Hwy 109 and Hwy 9 from Arthur to Schomberg.
South: Lake Erie east of Long Point.
West: Hwy 59 from Long Point to Hwy 3. East on 3 to Simcoe then north on 24 to the 401. North at Hespeler to Hwy 6 to Arthur.
East: From Lake Ontario and Hwy 427 at Oakville north via Hwy 407 then Hwy 27 north to Hwy 9.

Contact Inspector Ken Henderson at 519 281-7819

District 9

South: Lake Erie west of Long Point.
West: United States border.
North: From Goderich southeast on Hwy 8 to Clinton then south on Hwy 4 thru London to 401 exit 186, east on Hwy 401 to exit 268 beyond Ayr.
East: South along regional road 15 and Hwy 24 to Simcoe, west on Hwy 3 to Courtland and south on Hwy 59 to Lake Erie.

Contact Inspector Ken Henderson at 519 281-7819

District 10

West: Hwy 26 from Nottawasaga Bay, south on regional roads 42 and 18 to Hwy 9.
South: From Mono Mills east on Hwys 9 and 31 to regional road 12, north to Lake Simcoe and east along the south shore to Beaverton. South on Hwy 12 and east on Hwy7 to Lindsay.
East: Hwy 35 north to Hwy 60 to west and north boundaries of Algonquin Park to Renfrew. North to Hwy 17.
North: South of and along Hwy 17 and the south shore of Lake Nipissing and the French River to Georgian Bay.

Contact Inspector Peter Ferkl at 905 244-0275

District 11

All of Nipissing, Timiskaming, and Cochrane Districts. That part of Thunder Bay District east of 88° longitude and north of Manitouwadge. That part of Algoma District north of the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve.

Contact Inspector Julie Bernard at 705 272-8271

District 12

All of Sudbury District. That part of Thunder Bay District east of Marathon and south of Lake Manitouwadge. That part of Algoma District south of Oba.

Contact Inspector Julie Bernard at 705 272-8271

District 13

All of Thunder Bay District west of 88° longitude or west of Marathon on Hwy 17, and south of Kagiano Lake. All of Kenora, Rainey River and Central Patricia Districts.

If the Inspector above is unavailable, call the Ministry of Finance Field Operations Manager, at 905 521-7256.

You must contact the ministry without delay. Calls after hours, on weekends and on holidays will be responded to on the next business day.

Additional Information

If this bulletin does not completely address your particular situation, refer to the Fuel Tax Act and related regulations, visit our website at ontario.ca/finance or contact:

Ministry of Finance
Investigations and Inspections Branch
Inspections Section
33 King Street West
Oshawa ON  L1H 8H9

  • 1 866 ONT-TAXS (1 866 668-8297)
  • Fax: 905 436-4507
  • 1 800 263-7776 for teletypewriter (TTY)

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