Meeting record November 4-5, 2014 - Chemicals Management Plan Science Committee

Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Science Committee (SC)

Attendees

Committee Members

  • Sylvain Bintein
  • Peter Campbell
  • Nicola Cherry
  • Elaine Cohen Hubal
  • Miriam Diamond
  • Geoff Granville
  • Barbara Hales
  • Don Wilke

Ad Hoc Members

  • Grace Patlewicz (Tier) (Computational Modeller, DuPont Haskell Global Centers for Health & Environmental Sciences)
  • Terry Schultz (Professor Emeritus, Department of Comparative Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Government of Canada Officials

  • Tara Barton-Maclaren (Manager, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)
  • Robert Chénier (Director, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada)
  • Adam Doane (Senior Evaluator, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)
  • Matthew Gagné (Senior Evaluator, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)
  • Don Gutzman (Manager, Priority Assessments Section, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada)
  • Christine Norman (Director, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)
  • Alexander (Sasha) Okonski (Senior Evaluator, Ecological Assessment Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada)

Secretariat

  • Julie Chouinard (Manager, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)
  • Vanessa Di Cenzo (A/Senior Policy Analyst, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada)

Overview

The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Science Committee met on November 4 and 5, 2014 for a face-to-face meeting. This meeting focussed on addressing the charge question: rationale for the use of read-across in risk assessment. It included a presentation intended to inform Committee deliberations as well as a full day discussion to develop a preliminary response to the charge question and next steps for formulating the Committee Report. Outlined below is a brief summary of the meeting.

Day 1

Agenda item #1 (Introduction)

After brief introductory remarks by two of the Directors with oversight for the CMP, Christine Norman and Robert Chénier, the agenda was reviewed and logistical items were addressed.

Regrets from Environment Canada (EC) Directors General, David Morin and Virginia Poter, were communicated to Committee members. In addition, it was noted that Health Canada (HC) Director General, Amanda Jane Preece, would join the Committee over the working lunch along with Health Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister Hilary Geller, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch.

Agenda item #2 (Introductions and declarations)

Members gave a more detailed description of their expertise and backgrounds. There was an update to Terry Schultz's affiliations and interests declaration with regard to upcoming work.

Follow-up item
  • Secretariat: At next meeting, discuss process for updating affiliations and interests declarations.

Agenda item #3 (Terms of Reference)

The Terms of Reference (ToR) was formally endorsed by the Committee, pending agreement by two absent members (Jim Maguire, Jonathan Martin).

Follow-up item
  • Secretariat: Confirm that absent members support the revised ToR.

Agenda item #4 (Update on how Committee Report #1 is being used)

A presentation on how the input from Committee Report #1 is being used was given by government officials. The presentation outlined where the departments have shared the report, how it has influenced departmental work, and the planned path forward.

Agenda item #5 (Introduction of topic and charge question)

Charge question introduced: Health Canada and Environment Canada are seeking input on best practices for deriving a sufficient rationale for read-across within the context of risk assessments conducted under the CMP. The departments are also seeking input on known challenges with respect to the approach and considerations on how to best address them.

Agenda item #6 (Presentation from Government of Canada officials on read-across)

Government of Canada officials, Robert Chénier and Christine Norman, delivered a presentation on the charge question, intended to inform the Committee's deliberations on best practices for deriving a sufficient rationale for read-across within the context of risk assessments conducted under the CMP. This was largely built upon what was presented at the pre-meeting webinar (October 14, 2014), with the addition of some regulatory context concerning the three case studies (Dimethoxybenzidine based Direct Dyes, Substituted Diphenylamines, Dechlorane Plus).

The presentation was well received and followed by discussion.

Agenda item #7 (Perspectives from Committee members/Ad hoc members on read-across)

The two ad hoc members, Terry Schultz and Grace Patlewicz, presented their perspectives on read-across.

Agenda item #8 (Discussion amongst Committee members on charge question)

Committee members began preliminary discussions on the charge question. A round table gave each member the opportunity to discuss their perspectives on read-across. This was followed by a group discussion which outlined five key themes to be addressed the following day:

  • uncertainty in identification and choice of appropriate analogues
  • absence of toxicity
  • missing information/deficiencies in empirical data
  • mechanism/mode of action/novel testing
  • a framework

Day 2

Agenda item #9 (Housekeeping items/recap of Day 1)

In order to provide context for Committee members, Adam Doane, of Health Canada, delivered a short presentation on the CMP moving forward, including preliminary thinking on potential chemical groupings.

Recap of day one.

Agenda items #10-12 (Discussion amongst Committee members on charge question)

Committee members engaged in a full day of discussions and constructive dialogue as they developed their preliminary draft input to the charge question, which included break-out sessions on the themes identified.

Agenda items #13 (Preliminary response to charge question and Next steps for formulation of written report)

The reporting back to plenary, by break-out groups, constituted the preliminary response to the charge question.

It was agreed that the co-chairs would provide members with a draft Committee report for input and comment approximately one week from the end of the meeting.

Agenda item #14 (Wrap up and adjourn)

A discussion took place concerning the next meeting date and potential meeting topics (for example, metal/inorganic substances). The meeting was adjourned.

Follow-up item
  • Secretariat: Poll members regarding availability in mid-May/early June for a spring 2015 meeting.
  • Secretariat: Develop mechanism to communicate to ad hoc members and stakeholders more broadly, on use of committee input by government officials.

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