Meeting record – July 18-19, 2018

Chemicals Management Plan Science Committee

Attendees

Committee members

• Miriam Diamond (Co-chair)
• Geoff Granville (Co-chair)
• Jon Arnot
• Niladri Basu
• Richard Becker
• Weihsueh Chiu
• Elaine Cohen Hubal (by teleconference)
• Michelle Embry
• Mike Rasenberg

Ad hoc members

• Rebecca Clewell (Associate Director, ToxStrategies)
• Kevin Crofton (Consultant, R3Fellows)
• Markus Hecker (Professor, University of Saskatchewan)

Government of Canada Officials

• Jacqueline Gonçalves [Director General, Science and Risk Assessment (SRA), Science and Technology Branch (STB), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)] (Day 1)
• David Morin [Director General, Safe Environments Directorate (SED), Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch (HECSB), Health Canada (HC)] (Day 1)
• Maya Berci [Director, New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau (NSACB), SED, HECSB, HC]
• Thomas Kruidenier [A/Director, Ecological Assessment Division (EAD), SRA, STB, ECCC]
• Christine Norman [Director, Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau (ESRAB), SED, HECSB, HC]
• Tara Barton-Maclaren (Senior Manager, ESRAB, SED, HECSB, HC)
• Mark Bonnell [Senior Science Advisor, EAD, SRA, STB, ECCC (by teleconference)]
• Marisol Eggleton (Manager, EAD, SRA, STB, ECCC)
• Magdalena Jagla (Unit Head, EAD, SRA, STB, ECCC)
• Robert Letcher (Research Scientist, EAD, EAD, SRA, STB, ECCC)
• Joanne Parrott [Research Scientist, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division (ACRD), Water Science and Technology (WST), STB, ECCC]
• Mike Wade [Research Scientist, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau (EHSRB), Environment and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate (ERHSD), HECSB, HC]
• Matthew Gagné (Senior Evaluator, ESRAB, SED, HECSB, HC)
• Jean Grundy (Senior Biologist Evaluator, NSACB, SED, HECSB, HC)
• Sarah Vanden Hoven (Science Advisor, ESRAB, HECSB, HC)

Secretariat

• Julie Chouinard (Manager, ESRAB, HECSB, HC)
• Witnisse Mereus (A/Senior Policy Analyst, ESRAB, HECSB, HC)

External observers

[For the introduction of the topic and charge questions, and the Government of Canada presentation (items #5-6)]

• Shannon Coombs (President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association)
• Amardeep Khosla (Executive Director, CEPA-ICG)
• Aleksandra Pogoda (Director, Canadian Steel Producers Association)
• Dave Saucier (Regional Director, Responsible Distribution Canada)
• Meg Sears (Chair, Prevent Cancer Now)

Overview

The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Science Committee (the committee) met face-to-face on July 18-19, 2018. This meeting focused on advancing consideration of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). The committee was asked to address a number of charge questions, including to provide input on what could be done to advance and improve the government approach for addressing EDCs, while considering some of the unique considerations that influence hazard characterization and risk-based approaches for these chemicals. The meeting included presentations from core and ad hoc members on how to consider endocrine disrupting effects in risk assessments.

A full day was devoted to developing a preliminary response to the charge questions and half a day for the drafting of the report and next steps for completing the committee report. Outlined below is a brief summary of the meeting.

Day 1

Agenda item #1 (Introduction)

Christine Norman (Director, HC) welcomed committee members and government officials. The agenda was reviewed and logistical items were addressed by Witnisse Mereus and Julie Chouinard (Secretariat, HC).

Agenda item #2 (Opening remarks)

Jacqueline Gonçalves (Director General, ECCC) also welcomed the committee, and thanked them for their contributions and time commitment. She provided an update on Government activities and some examples of our current approach for EDCs under CEPA 1999. 

Agenda item #3 (Update to terms of reference and affiliations and interests)

Julie Chouinard (Secretariat, HC) presented suggested changes to the terms of reference for consideration by the committee.  The changes are intended to increase flexibility with respect to products that are posted online.  The committee core and ad hoc members declared updates to their affiliations and interests.

Agenda item #4 (Use of science committee input on informed substitution)

Sarah Vanden Hoven (HC) presented how Government incorporated the committee’s input on informed substitution, the subject of the previous meeting. The presentation outlined where the departments have shared the summary of the deliberations, how the input has supported departmental work and the path forward.

Agenda item #5 (Introductions of topic and charge questions)

Geoff Granville and Miriam Diamond (Co-chairs) introduced the charge questions and welcomed the external observers who joined via WebEx, for agenda items #5 and #6.

Agenda item #6 (Presentation from Government of Canada officials)

Tara Barton-Maclaren (HC) and Mark Bonnell (ECCC) delivered a presentation on the charge questions, informing the committee of the Government’s current approach for the identification, priority setting and risk assessment of EDCs under CEPA 1999.

Committee members began preliminary discussions of the charge questions.

Agenda item #7 (Perspectives from core and ad hoc members on topic)

The 3 ad hoc members, Rebecca Clewell, Kevin Crofton, and Markus Hecker, and two core members, Richard Becker and Weihsueh Chiu gave short presentations on their perspective on EDCs and the charge questions.

Agenda items #8 and # 9 (Discussion on charge questions)

Committee members began in-depth discussions on the charge questions.  The members were divided into three groups to discuss each charge question.

Day 2

Agenda item #10 (Housekeeping items/recap of day 1)

The co-chairs provided a recap of day 1.

Agenda items #11 – 12 (Discussion on charge questions)

Committee members engaged in productive discussions as they developed their responses to the charge questions.

Agenda items #13 and #14 (Committee report drafting)

The committee gathered to develop initial responses to the charge questions and began drafting the report.

Agenda item #15 (Next steps for formulation of written report)

The committee discussed next steps for developing the report. It was agreed that the co-chairs would provide members with a draft report for input and comment by end of August.

Agenda items #16 and #17 (Wrap up items and closing remarks)

Committee members were thanked for their participation.

The meeting was adjourned.