Institutional links

• Main Menu

  • Canada's Actions on Chemicals
    • Categorization
    • Risk Assessment
    • Risk Management
  • Chemicals Management Plan
  • Micro-organisms
  • The Challenge
  • The Petroleum Sector Stream Approach
  • The Substance Groupings Initiative
  • Fact Sheets & Frequently Asked Questions

• Stay Connected

  • Latest News
  • Subscribe

• Explore...

  • Acronyms
  • Glossary
  • Site Map

• Accountability

  • Proactive Disclosure

Federal Laws and Programs

In Canada, municipal, provincial, territorial and federal governments all play a role in managing chemical substances.

The Government of Canada has many laws and programs dedicated to protecting human health and the natural environment from chemical risks. Its primary legal tool for assessing and managing chemical substances in the environment is the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), jointly administered by Environment Canada and Health Canada.

This page has links to information on a range of topics relating to the Government of Canada's management of chemical substances in Canada:

• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
• Fact sheets on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
• Government of Canada CEPA 1999 Program Sites and Publications
• Other Government of Canada Programs that Deal with Chemical Substances

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

These sites contain technical information on CEPA 1999.

•  The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  A searchable copy of the Act (source: Environment Canada).
•  A Guide to Understanding the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  An explanation of the key features of CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
•  CEPA Environmental Registry
  A comprehensive collection of information relating to activities under CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
•  CEPA Review
  A source of information on the Parliamentary Review of CEPA 1999. The Act must be reviewed by Parliament every five years, and the most recent review began in 2006 (source: Environment Canada).

Fact Sheets on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

These fact sheets provide general information on various aspects of CEPA 1999.

•  CEPA 1999 at a Glance
  A description of the role and guiding principles of CEPA 1999 in protecting human health and the environment (source: Environment Canada).
•  CEPA 1999: Focus on Issues
  A look at the specific areas governed under CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
•  Human Health and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA): An Overview
  A fact sheet from the It's Your Health series that explains Health Canada's role in CEPA 1999 (source: Health Canada).
•  Assessing Chemicals in Canada for Risk: Protecting the Health of Canadians and their Environment
  A background brochure on the Government of Canada's approach for categorizing, assessing and managing the risks to human health and the environment from existing substances in Canada (source: Health Canada).
•  Assessing and Managing the Health Risks of New Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 1999
  A fact sheet from the It's Your Health series providing information on the screening of new substances in Canada (source: Health Canada).
•  The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and Pollution Prevention
  A fact sheet that explains pollution prevention, one of the main principles in CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
•  Public Participation in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  Information on public participation in decision-making under CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).

Government of Canada CEPA 1999 Program Sites and Publications

The following links go to information published by key groups involved in administering CEPA 1999.

Risk Assessment of Chemical Substances under CEPA 1999

The sites below provide information on the scientific evaluation of chemical substances under CEPA 1999. Information can also be accessed through the Assessing Chemical Substances section of this Web site.

Human Health Risk Assessments

•  Existing Substances Assessment (source: Health Canada).
•  New Chemical Substances (source: Health Canada).

Ecological Risk Assessments

•  Existing Substances Evaluation (source: Environment Canada).
•  Assessment and Management of New Substances in Canada (source: Environment Canada).

Risk Management of Chemical Substances under CEPA 1999

The sites below provide information on risk management of chemical substances under CEPA 1999. More information can also be accessed through the Managing Chemical Substances section of this Web site.

•  Management of Toxic Substances (source: Environment Canada).

Other programs involved in administering CEPA 1999 include:

•  Clean Air
•  Managing and Reducing Waste
•  Pollution Prevention
•  Environmental Emergencies
•  Disposal at Sea
•  Science and Technology
•  Enforcement of Canada's Federal Environmental and Wildlife Laws

Other Government of Canada programs that Deal with Chemical Substances

In addition to CEPA 1999, there are many other Government of Canada programs and agencies involved in assessing and managing the risks from chemical substances, including:

•  Food and Nutrition
  Safe food and good nutrition are important to Canadians. Maintaining the safety of Canada's food supply is a shared responsibility among all levels of government, industry and consumers (source: Health Canada).
•  Drugs and Health Products
  The Government of Canada plays a lead role in ensuring that Canadians have access to safe and effective drugs and health products (source: Health Canada).
•  Pest Management and Products
  The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is the federal agency responsible for the regulation of pest control products in Canada (source: Health Canada).
•  Consumer Product Safety
  The Government of Canada protects Canadians by researching, assessing and managing the health risks and safety hazards associated with the consumer products we use everyday (source: Health Canada).
•  Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
  WHMIS is Canada's national standard for communicating about controlled products to which workers can be exposed in their jobs. WHMIS covers such areas as cautionary labeling, material safety data, worker education and training programs (source: Health Canada).