| Regulatory Regime | Government Action | # of Substances | Rationale | Timelines |
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| Canadian Environmental Protection Act | Prohibitions | 5 substance categories
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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). |
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| 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:
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| 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. |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
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| Creation of Virtual Elimination List with the addition of Hexachloro- butadiene (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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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