Environment and Climate Change Canada issue Notice of intent to address the broad class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
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Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada have published a notice of intent to address The Government of Canada intends to move forward with activities to address the broad class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Substance-specific information is lacking for most PFAS that are currently used, including those that have been used to replace restricted PFAS. The large number of PFAS that are commercially available and their diverse chemical structures, combined with the lack of data on the hazards and properties of the individual substances, renders a traditional substance-by-substance assessment and management approach impractical. This has been recognized in publications prepared by a number of scientists following international meetings regarding PFAS, including the Zurich Statement, which recommends a grouping approach for this class of substances. Considering PFAS as a class of chemicals would better address situations where exposure occurs to multiple PFAS at the same time. This will allow the Government of Canada to consider cumulative effects, and to prevent regrettable substitutions.
Planned actions
In 2021, the Government of Canada will:
- continue to invest in research and monitoring on PFAS;
- collect and examine information on PFAS to inform a class-based approach; and
- review policy developments in other jurisdictions.
In addition, within the next two years, the Government of Canada will publish a State of PFAS Report, which will summarize relevant information on the class of PFAS.
Stakeholder engagement is an important step to advance Canada's efforts. Stakeholders and interested parties will have opportunities to provide input to help inform Government of Canada activities related to addressing PFAS as a class.
These substances have been an ongoing concern for water utilities with the USEPA recently announcing new standards for PFAS will be based at 4 PPT. This is a concern for water utilities as this is at the edge of detection limits It’s not known what timeline or strategy the US will have to implement these changes. The Canadian initiative is not specifically looking at PFAS/PFOS in drinking water, but it will certainly be an element of it. CWWA will continue to monitor, and provide input when requested.
Access the full notice at
https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2021/2021-04-24/html/notice-avis-eng.html
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Reminder: CWWA has created a PFAS/PFOS fact sheet at |
