Chemicals Management Plan Progress Report

Summer 2014

(PDF Format - 1 623 KB)

Table of Contents

• About this report
• Where are we with the CMP?
• Canada Working on Nanomaterials at Home and Abroad
• The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation celebrates its 20 years
• The Substance Groupings Initiative: Draft screening assessment work in spring 2014
• Publication of new substances assessment summaries
• The Domestic Substances List Inventory Update
• Stakeholder Engagement: Highlights to date in 2014
• The CMP Science Committee held its inaugural meeting in Ottawa
• Risk Management of Existing Substances under the CMP
• Amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations
• First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative: A first look at environmental chemicals for First Nations
• The National Pollutant Release Inventory: Substance review underway
• New Substances Program: Highlights to date in 2014
• Publications to watch for in the next six months

About this report

This is the second issue of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Progress Report. The report is published twice a year to keep stakeholders and interested parties up to date on the activities and programs related to Canada’s CMP. It reports on advances in major initiatives and highlights key activities related to the Government of Canada’s most recent work under the CMP. It also provides information about coming events, dates of interest and opportunities for involvement.

The report is produced jointly by Environment Canada and Health Canada.

For more information about the CMP, or to find previous issues of the CMP Progress Report, visit the Chemical Substances website.

We encourage people to share this report with anyone who may be interested. We also welcome feedback or suggestions. We can be reached at Substances@ec.gc.ca.

Top of Page

Where are we with the CMP?

Since the launch of the CMP in 2006, the government has addressed approximately 1,700 existing substances in Canadian commerce and 3,000 notifications for new substances that were proposed for introduction into the Canadian market. During the second phase of the CMP, which was launched in 2011, approximately 600substances have been addressed, including 200 from the Substance Groupings Initiative and 117through the Rapid Screening Assessment Approach. The government is on track to complete the objectives identified in the second phase of the program by 2016. Key deliverables of this second phase include:

• Phase 2 of the Domestic Substances List Inventory Update
• Risk assessments and risk management if required for:
• • Substance Groupings Initiative
  • Rapid Screening Approach
  • Continuation of Petroleum Sector Stream Approach
  • Remaining Challenge substances
  • Other chemicals of interest (e.g., triclosan)
• Over 450 pre-market evaluations on new substances per year
• Development of the Polymer Approach
• Prioritization of the Revised In-Commerce List
• Environmental and health monitoring, surveillance and research programs
• International engagement and cooperation

Environment Canada and Health Canada will continue to work closely with health and environmental groups, consumer groups, academics, Aboriginal groups, industry and international partners to reduce risks posed by chemical substances to Canadians and their environment.

Top of Page

Canada Working on Nanomaterials at Home and Abroad

The Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council Nanotechnology Initiative is now complete. Canada and the U.S. are implementing the new approaches and lessons learned in risk assessments of nanomaterials. An important outcome of the initiative is the development of consistent policy principles on the regulatory oversight of nanomaterials, which have now been endorsed by the Government of Canada. Watch for the publication of the final reports from the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council Nanotechnology Initiative this summer. The reports will include recommendations about ways in which Canada and the U.S. can align their nanomaterial regulatory work, including the application of consistent risk assessment approaches and methodologies and identifying categories of nanomaterials.

Canada has endorsed a recommendation from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Council on the Safety Testing and Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials. The recommendation states that countries “apply the existing international and national chemical regulatory frameworks or other management systems, adapted to take into account the specific properties of manufactured nanomaterials.” The recommendation was based on the work of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials, which is a harmonization effort to inform regulatory programs regarding the environmental and health and safety implications of manufactured nanomaterials.

For more information on the Substance Groupings Initiative, visit the Chemical Substances website or read the First issue of the CMP Progress Report.

Top of Page

The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation celebrates its 20 years

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Canada is chair and will host a Council Session of Environment Ministers in Yellowknife on July 16-17, 2014.  Environment Canada and Health Canada have been involved in trilateral chemicals management work with the commission for many years and a project entitled Enhancing Trilateral Understanding of Flame Retardants and their Use in Manufactured Items is underway.  For information, please see: Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Top of Page

The Substance Groupings Initiative: Draft screening assessment work in spring 2014

Draft screening assessments covering approximately 130 aromatic azo- and benzidine-based substances were released in March and May 2014. In addition, work is progressing on the assessment for cobalt and cobalt-containing substances (50 substances), and for certain methylenediphenyl diisocyanate and diamine substances (six substances). Publication of the risk assessment reports, and if necessary risk management scope documents, is anticipated in summer 2014.

For more information on the Substance Groupings Initiative, visit the Chemical Substances website or read the First issue of the CMP Progress Report.

Top of Page

Publication of new substances assessment summaries

Since January, the government has published two summaries of environmental and human health risk assessment reports under the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms): on Nitrosomonas species 804 and on AquAdvantage® Salmon. Five new summaries for new chemicals and polymer substances for which a notification was received during the last six months of 2013 are also to be published this summer.

For more information on the Substance Groupings Initiative, visit the Chemical Substances website or read the First issue of the CMP Progress Report.

Top of Page

The Domestic Substances List Inventory Update

Information-gathering for the second phase of the Domestic Substances List Inventory Update ended on December 4, 2013. High-quality information was received for over 1,340 of the approximately 2,700 substances addressed through the inventory update. This included information for substances present in trace concentrations and within certain finished goods, such as consumer products and children’s toys. A summary of information received will be published on the Chemical Substances website in fall 2014. The information gathered will be used for a number of purposes: it will inform the Rapid Screening and Polymer Approaches; continue to help to improve supply chain awareness; inform future priorities; and inform the development of the next phase of the inventory update.

For more information on the Substance Groupings Initiative, visit the Chemical Substances website or read the First issue of the CMP Progress Report.

Top of Page

Stakeholder engagement: Highlights to date in 2014

The CMP Stakeholder Advisory Council

The CMP Stakeholder Advisory Council meets at least twice a year and gives stakeholders the opportunity to offer advice and input to government on the implementation of the CMP. It also fosters dialogue between stakeholders and government, and among different stakeholder groups.

At its most recent meeting, held on May 8, 2014, presentations included:

• Alternatives assessment (Pam Eliason, Toxics Use Reduction Institute, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and Bev Thorpe, Clean Production Action)
• Electronic waste in Canada (Shelagh Kerr, Electronics Product Stewardship Canada)
• CMP Stakeholder Engagement and Public Outreach Framework, and Public Summaries (Environment Canada and Health Canada representatives)
• Early findings from the Domestic Substances List inventory update (Environment Canada and Health Canada representatives)

Meeting summaries, membership and other information about the Stakeholder Advisory Council can be found on the Chemical Substances website. The next meeting will be held in October ,  2014.

Web-based information sessions

New Substances Program

Three hundred and fifty people participated in nine Web-based information sessions for the New Substances Program in the first half of 2014. The purpose of these online information sessions was to help stakeholders improve their understanding of the notification regulations for new substances as they apply to chemicals, bio-chemicals, polymers, nanomaterials and bio-polymers. The sessions dealt with how new substances notifications are processed, what happens next in the process, and some common submission issues and possible improvements.

Canadian Network for Human Health and the Environment webinars

Two webinars, hosted by the Canadian Network for Human Health and the Environment, in conjunction with Health Canada and Environment Canada, were held during the first half of 2014; one in February and one in June. The February session provided an overview of the CMP and information on engagement opportunities via the Network. The June webinar focused on risk assessment of existing substances. Webinars hosted by the Network are made available after each session on the Canadian Network for Human Health and the Environment (CNHHE) website.

Phthalates stakeholder technical workshop

Given the complex scientific issues around the assessment of phthalates, an interactive multi-stakeholder technical workshop was held on March 26, 2014. Health Canada and Environment Canada are planning to assess certain phthalates as part of the Substance Groupings Initiative. The objective of the workshop was to obtain input from invited participants representing other governments, industry, academia and health organizations on key scientific considerations pertaining to the assessment. Participants were asked to provide comments on the proposed approach for using chemical categories and read-across (using information from substances with similar chemical structures) to address data gaps. Stakeholders expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute and for continued engagement on key scientific considerations.

The next steps are publication, for public comment, of State of the Science documents on the 14 phthalates included in this grouping, as well as the proposed approach for the cumulative risk assessment in spring 2015.

Additional details on the phthalates grouping are available on the Chemical Substances website.

Top of Page

The CMP Science Committee held its inaugural meeting in Ottawa

Ensuring a strong science foundation is a key element of the CMP and, to support this, the government has formed the CMP Science Committee to provide external, scientific expertise to Health Canada and Environment Canada on scientific issues.

The Committee held its first meeting in Ottawa on February 18-19, 2014. The meeting provided the 10 Committee members, selected for their expertise in core scientific areas, the opportunity to deliberate on their first discussion topic: “Capturing and communicating uncertainty.”  Members also engaged in constructive discussions as they began developing the Committee’s scientific input for the Government of Canada and identifying their next steps for formulating the Committee Report.

The Meeting Record and the Committee Report will be available on the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Science Committeee, which also provides each member’s biography, affiliations and interests.

Top of Page

Risk Management of Existing Substances under the CMP

Risk management is an integral part of the CMP. Of the 96 substances (or groups of substances) found to be harmful to the environment and/or human health since 2006, 80 per cent are of health concern, 16 per cent are of ecological concern and four per cent are both. Various risk management actions have been developed to address the risks identified for each of these areas.

For substances of health concern, the government has developed risk management actions to address human exposure from consumer products, cosmetics and industrial sources. For example, codes of practice and guidelines were developed to reduce residential indoor air pollutants from consumer products; 21 substances have been added to or amended on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist; and 23 substances were subject to Significant New Activity provisions. Pollution prevention plans were developed for reducing human exposure from industrial emissions of substances such as isoprene and toluene diisocyanates. In addition, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act  was amended to establish a new prohibition on products intended for children under the age of three that are made with polyurethane foam containing TCEP (Ethanol, 2-chloro-, phosphate (3:1).

For substances of ecological concern, risk management actions include Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, some of which may also be subject to international actions to eliminate or restrict their use. Action has also been taken to address release of substances of ecological concern into aquatic environments, for example, through a code of practice for the management of tetrabutyltin; a guideline for the reduction of dyes (MAPBAP acetate) released from pulp and paper mills; and a pollution prevention plan for siloxane D4 in industrial effluents. The government has applied Significant New Activity provisions to a few substances of ecological concern.

The choice of risk management action is based on the most appropriate tool for managing identified risks and involves a number of factors such as the statutory authorities required and the most appropriate point of application along a given supply chain. As a result, risk management can range from the use of a single instrument to address the full set of identified risks, in some cases for both ecological and health concerns, to a number of instruments that target specific areas of risk. Since 2006, the following instruments have either been published or are under development:

Risk Management of Existing Substances under the CMP

A list of the risk management actions developed or under development for the substances found to be harmful to the environment and/or human health under the CMP was published this summer.

Top of Page

Amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations

Environment Canada is in the initial stages of amending the Environmental Emergency Regulations to help better protect Canadians and their environment from environmental emergencies, and to provide the regulated community with clarity on regulatory requirements. Through this amendment, 49 additional substances could potentially be regulated, including 20 from the CMP Challenge and 16 from the CMP Petroleum Sector Stream Approach.

Environment Canada began preliminary consultations on the potential amendments in November 2013 with a public notification of the intent to amend the regulations. On March 10, 2014, potential amendments and supporting documentation were published on the Environmental Emergencies Program website, formally launching the preliminary consultation process. In addition, approximately 20,000 potential stakeholders were notified of the amendments by email, mail and telephone.

To promote awareness about the proposed amendments, the Environmental Emergencies Program also held online and face-to-face information sessions and posted an online form to enable the public to comment on the potential amendments. The consultation process ended on April 14, 2014.

Comments received through the public consultation process will be used, as appropriate, to draft the formal regulatory text of the potential amendments for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I, late this year or early in 2015. After publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I, a formal 60-day consultation will be held.

What are the Environmental Emergency Regulations?

The Environmental Emergency Regulations aim to minimize the frequency and consequences of uncontrolled, unplanned or accidental release of hazardous substances into the environment. The regulations require proper environmental emergency planning so that companies are able to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from an environmental emergency. The regulations list substances that have been assessed through a risk evaluation for environmental emergencies. This risk evaluation assesses the hazards of substances with respect to an uncontrolled or accidental release of the substance.

While the risk evaluation for environmental emergencies and the risk assessment of a chemical substance both use similar scientific endpoints for human health and aquatic toxicity, the risk evaluations for environmental emergencies differ because they primarily consider the consequences of an acute, large-scale substance release and include physical hazards like explosions. The two risk evaluations complement each other because they encompass a full range of exposures from trace-level and chronic exposure to large-scale and acute exposure. Taken together, they enhance the protection of Canadians and their environment. The Environmental Emergency Regulations may require individuals who own or manage regulated hazardous substances at or above the specified thresholds to provide required information on the substance(s) and their quantities and to prepare and implement environmental emergency plans.

Top of Page

First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative: A first look at environmental chemicals for First Nations

The First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative: National Results 2011 report, released last year, is the first nationally representative study to establish baseline information on human exposure to a range of environmental chemicals for adult First Nations people living on reserves, south of the 60th parallel. This survey was designed to complement the Canadian Health Measures Survey, a health survey for the general Canadian population that does not include First Nations people living on reserves.

Results of the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative indicate that exposure levels for approximately 15 per cent of the chemicals surveyed were higher for the First Nations population compared to the adult population within Canada at the national or regional level. The survey shows that chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, manganese, zinc, mirex, PBDE 153, BPA, cotinine and monobenzyl phthalate warrant further investigation.

To obtain the report, please visit the Assembly of First Nations website.

What is the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative?

The First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative is a partnership between the Assembly of First Nations and Health Canada. Over 500 First Nations people from 13 communities participated in the health survey. Components of the initiative included a household questionnaire addressing food and water consumption, chronic conditions and other lifestyle questions, direct physical measurements, and blood and urine collection to measure concentrations of 97 environmental chemicals.

As well as establishing baseline levels for First Nations across Canada, the data also allowed for the comparison of exposure levels between First Nations people and the general Canadian population, since the initiative measured all Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 1 environmental chemicals. This comparison allows for focused research on priority chemicals where the exposure of First Nations is statistically higher than the general population. It has already allowed individuals, First Nations communities and government to become more aware of and take steps to minimize exposure to chemicals. Similar to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, data from First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative can be used to inform risk management actions as well as to track trends and assess the effectiveness of risk management under the CMP.

At a national level, the data has been and continues to be used in risk assessments for numerous chemicals under the CMP. It may also potentially prove to be of benefit in the context of Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency assessments.

Future cycles of the health survey are being planned to track trends in exposure levels for First Nations people and to gauge the effectiveness of health policies and regulations for First Nations.

The First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative proved that cooperative efforts among Health Canada, the Assembly of First Nations and First Nations communities can be carried out to provide valuable scientific information. Preparation of a pilot First Nations child biomonitoring study is underway, with the intent of including children in future cycles of the First Nations health survey.

Top of Page

The National Pollutant Release Inventory: Substance review underway

The National Pollutant Release Inventory is being reviewed to ensure that the list of reportable substances remains current, relevant and supports CMP activities. Candidate substances are being identified for either addition to or deletion from the inventory list, or for changes to their reporting threshold. To date, the review has focused on substances that are on the List of Toxic Substances on Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

What is the National Pollutant Release Inventory?

The National Pollutant Release Inventory is Canada’s legally mandated, publicly accessible inventory of pollutant releases to air, water and land. It also lists disposals and transfers for recycling for 346 listed substances or substances groups. Environment Canada analyzes trends and prepares summaries for key pollutants, based on facility-reported data. The inventory is a key resource for identifying and monitoring sources of pollution in Canada.

Under the CMP, the data can be used for risk assessments, as a supplement or replacement for other information-gathering initiatives, or to inform the development and evaluation of risk-management instruments.

Changes for the 2014-2015 reporting years

The inventory reporting requirements are updated every two years. The requirements for the 2014 and 2015 reporting years are expected to be published in summer 2014 in the Canada Gazette, and are anticipated to outline a number of changes.

More information on proposed changes stemming from the Inventory Substance Review, as well as other changes, can be found on the Current and Recent Consultations page of the National Pollutant Release Inventory website.

Highlights: 2012 National Pollutant Release Inventory Facility-Reported Data

• 7,707 facilities submitted reports on the substances that they released, disposed of, or sent to other facilities for recycling.
• Total releases to air, water and land decreased by 17% between 2008 and 2012 but were essentially stable between 2011 and 2012.
• Releases of air contaminants are the largest percentage of releases reported.
• 66 substances in the National Pollutant Release Inventory are on the list of toxic substances on Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

More information can be found in the Summary Report: Reviewed 2012 NPRI Facility Reported Data.

Top of Page

New Substances Program: Highlights to date in 2014

From January to May 2014, 237 notifications for pre-market assessment have been received under the New Substances Program. Of these, 201 were for chemicals and polymer substances, 11 were for living organisms and 25 were for substances used solely for uses regulated under the Food and Drugs Act. For all 237 notifications, the government has assessed and put in place management actions, if necessary, to protect Canadians and their environment, within timelines mandated by legislation.

Three notifications resulted in management actions, including one Ministerial Condition, and two Significant New Activities Notices. The Revised In-Commerce List was published on Health Canada’s website.

Top of Page

Publications to watch for in the next six months

Draft screening assessments and risk management scopes (when needed) for:

• Azo Acid Dyes
• Certain Aromatic Amines
• Certain Azo Basic Dyes
• Certain Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanates and Diamines Substance Grouping
• Cobalt and Cobalt-Containing Substances
• Internationally Classified Substance Grouping
• Pseudomonas stutzeri
• Petroleum Sector Stream Approach Stream 0 Coal Tars
• Petroleum Sector Stream Approach Stream 4 Petroleum and Refinery Gases (Liquefied Petroleum Gases), and Natural Gas Condensates
• Petroleum Sector Stream Approach Stream 4 Heavy Fuel Oils
• Substituted Diphenylamines Grouping

Final screening assessments and risk management approaches (when needed) for:

• Acetone
• Bacillus cereus
• Biphenyl
• Challenge Batch 12 assessment: Benzenamine, 4,4'-[(1-methylethylidene)bis(4,1-phenyleneoxy)]bis- (BAPP), Sclareol and Mitotane*
• Diarylide Yellow Pigments
• Priority C organisms in Lot 2
• Propene
• Petroleum Sector Stream Approach Stream 3 Fuel Oil No.2
• Pseudomonas fluorescens

For more information on chlorhexidine acetate, see the Challenge Batch 12 Web page.

Risk management instruments for:

• Addition of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and longchain PFCAs/PFOA to Prohibition Regulations (Draft Risk Management Instrument)
• Final Code of Practice for 2-Butanone Oxime (MEKO)
• Hydrazine - Pollution Prevention Plan (Draft Risk Management Instrument)
• Proposed Code of Practice for DEGME

Environmental Emergency Regulations:

• Proposed Amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations for the addition of 49 additional substances including CMP and Petroleum Sector Stream Approach substances.

Significant New Activity Publication for:

• Order amending the Domestic Substances List to apply the Significant New Activity provisions of CEPA 1999 to the living organism Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579
• Order amending the Domestic Substances List to indicate that the Significant New Activity provisions no longer apply to three substances: naphthol AS ITR (CAS RN 92-72-8), naphthol AS TR (CAS RN 92-76-2), and naphthol AS KB (CAS RN 135-63-7)
• Notice of Intent to apply the Significant New Activity provisions of CEPA 1999 to the living organism Pseudomonas fluorescens
• Notice of Intent to apply the Significant New Activity provisions of CEPA 1999 to the substance 1,2-dibromoethane (CAS RN 106-93-4)