Regulatory Regime	Government Action	# of Substances	Rationale	Timelines
Canadian Environmental Protection Act	Prohibitions	5 substance categories -6 PBDEs -50 PFOS -1 Pentachlorobenzene -1 Tetrachlorobenzene -1 2-Methoxyethanol	The Government has proposed to prohibit uses of these substances because there is strong evidence that they pose a risk to the environment or human health. These include PBDEs (flame retardants), PFOS (used in some non-stick coatings and stain repellents), Pentachlorobenzene and Tetrachlorobenzenes (impurities or resulting from waste incineration) and 2-Methoxyethanol (anti-icing agent in jet fuels and chemical/industrial processes).	Notice of draft regulations for PBDEs and PFOS were published in Canada Gazette, Part I on December 16, 2006 Final regulations - amendments to include Pentachorobenzene, Tetrachlorobenzene, and 2 Methoxyethanol in the Regulations for Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substance were published in Canada Gazette, Part II on November 29, 2006
	Challenge to industry to provide information to enable early completion of screening assessments and regulatory action as needed.	~200 (see Challenge to Industry for full list and first two batches)	These are the substances of highest concern as a result of categorization; they are: Persistent, accumulative in the food chain, and inherently toxic to the environment, and are known to be in commerce in Canada; and/or A high hazard to humans and a high likelihood of exposure to individuals in Canada	Notice of Intent was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on December 9, 2006 First batch of 15 released in February of 2007 Each subsequent batch released in three months intervals Completion of screening assessments for all substances in three years Risk management within three years after screening assessment completed.
	Restrictions on re-introduction of ecological priorities no longer in commerce	148	These substances are a high concern due to their hazard characteristics, including persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and inherent ecological toxicity, but are not currently in commerce in Canada. The restrictions will ensure that users must notify the government of proposed new uses, and provide information to support assessment and the development of appropriate controls for the proposed use.	Notice of Intent was published in Canada Gazette I on December 9, 2006
	Restrictions on new uses of some high human hazard substances	~150	These substances are a concern due to their hazard to human health. The Government will ensure exposures do not increase by applying provisions that limit future uses. There are a number of groups within this batch including high hazard substances that have beneficial uses (ie. anti-cancer drugs); these uses will be protected and new uses subject to the restrictions	Notices of Intent to issue in early 2007
	Rapid Screening	~1200	These are substances that met the categorization criteria, but are very unlikely to be determined to be toxic. Government scientists will apply highly-conservative, worst-case scenarios to these substances; if they are not deemed toxic under these conditions they will be screened out.	Notice was published in Canada Gazette I on December 9, 2006. The results will be released for public comment in the spring of 2007
	Creation of Virtual Elimination List with the addition of Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)	1 initially with others to follow	Substances on the Virtual Elimination List meet specific criteria for persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity, and that are entering the environment primarily due to human activity. By placing a substance on the list, the Government aims to reduce releases of substances to levels below that which can be measured.	Final Ministerial order to add HCBD to VE list, thereby creating Virtual Elimination List was published in Canada Gazette II on Dec 13, 2006
	Final Regulations to control 2-Butoxyethanol in cleaning and paint products		establishing concentrations limits for 2-BE in various commercial and consumer products designed for indoor use (e.g. cleaners, paints, coatings) and reducing the general population's exposure to this substance.	Final regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on December 27, 2006
Pest Control Products Act	Re-evaluation of older pesticides	200 remaining	All decisions taken on pesticides prior to 1995 are subject to re-evaluation because the Government has increased its health and environmental standards.	Re-evaluations will be completed by 2009
	Evaluation of new pesticides	An annual workload of ~1500	This activity offers Canadian agriculture access to new, safer pesticides so that they can move away from older, more suspect substances. Investments will also lead to more timely decisions that ensure Canadian agriculture is not behind its US competitors in accessing new products.	Ongoing
	Incident Reporting Regulations	All registered pesticides	All incidents whose effects relate to the health or environmental risks or the value of a pesticide must be reported to Health Canada.	Regulations to come into force April 26, 2007
	Sales Information Reporting Regulations	All registered pesticides	Registrants of pesticides are required to report sales data to Health Canada on a regular basis. This will provide valuable information on the potential volume of pesticides used in Canada in a given time period.	Regulations came into force on October 26, 2006
Food and Drugs Act	Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Product Regulations	~100 annually	Food, drugs and cosmetics are currently regulated for their impact on human health. Improved regulations for these substances are necessary in order to identify and manage the risks these substances may pose to Canadians when they are released in the environment. For instance, the release of large quantities of pharmaceuticals into our water supply.	Consultation with all commodity groups beginning in 2007 Regulations implemented in 2010-11
Food and Drugs Act	Cosmetic Labels	Any substance used in a cosmetic	Provide information to consumers on ingredients on all cosemetic products so that they can make informed choices.	Regulation came into force on November 16, 2006



Last Updated: 2007-05-11	Top of Page	Important Notices