Proposed amendments to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations: 2018 consultation document

Official title: Consultation Document on Proposed Amendments to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 for PFOS, PFOA, LC-PFCAs, HBCD, PBDEs, DP and DBDPE (December 2018)

Executive summary

This consultation document is intended to inform and solicit comments from stakeholders on a proposed regulatory approach to amend the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012. The proposed regulatory approach is to remove or provide time limits for exemptions for perfluorooctane sulfonate, its salts and precursors that contain one of the following groups: C₈F₁₇SO₂, C₈F₁₇SO₃ or C₈F₁₇SO₂N (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid which has the molecular formula C₇F₁₅CO₂H, its salts and precursors (PFOA), long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids that have the molecular formula C_nF_2n+1CO₂H in which 8 ≤ n ≤ 20, their salts and precursors (LC-PFCAs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) to phase out the use of these substances. It is also proposed to prohibit the manufacture, import, use, sale and offer for sale of dechlorane plus (DP) and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and products that contain them, should their final screening assessment reports confirm that they are toxic under section 64 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999).

Comments received will be considered in the development of proposed regulatory amendments to the regulations.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Proposed regulatory approach
   • 2.1 PFOS
     • 2.1.1 Background
     • 2.1.2 International risk management
     • 2.1.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.1.4 Information gathering related to PFOS
   • 2.2 PFOA
     • 2.2.1 Background
     • 2.2.2 International risk management
     • 2.2.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.2.4 Information gathering related to PFOA
   • 2.3 LC-PFCAs
     • 2.3.1 Background
     • 2.3.2 International risk management
     • 2.3.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.3.4 Information gathering related to LC-PFCAs
   • 2.4 Four new fluorotelomer-based substances
     • 2.4.1 Background
     • 2.4.2 International risk management
     • 2.4.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.4.4 Information gathering related to the four new fluorotelomer-based substances
   • 2.5 HBCD
     • 2.5.1 Background
     • 2.5.2 International risk management
     • 2.5.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.5.4 Information gathering related to HBCD
   • 2.6 PBDEs
     • 2.6.1 Background
     • 2.6.2 International risk management
     • 2.6.3 Proposed changes to exemptions under the regulations
     • 2.6.4 Information gathering related to PBDEs
   • 2.7 DP
     • 2.7.1 Background
     • 2.7.2 Domestic and international risk management
     • 2.7.3 Proposed amendments to the regulations
     • 2.7.4 Information gathering related to DP
       
   • 2.8 DBPDE
     • 2.8.1 Background
     • 2.8.2 Domestic and international risk management
     • 2.8.3 Proposed amendments to the regulations
     • 2.8.4 Information gathering related to DBPDE
       
3. Next steps
   • 3.1 Comment period
   • 3.2 Planned timelines
4. References

• Annex A: Non-exhaustive list of CAS numbers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances controlled under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012
• Annex B: International risk management for PFAS, PBDEs and HBCD
• Annex C: Summary of previous consultations on certain PFASs, HBCD and PBDEs

List of acronyms