The Canadian government announced a bill that received Royal Assent on June 14 that takes a major step toward ensuring the environment and Canadians are safe and healthy.
Bill S-5, dubbed the Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, updates The Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA). The core federal legislation aims to fight pollution and protect the environment, with tools to address pollution sources like chemicals, biotechnology, engines, fuels and hazardous wastes.
The bill is expected to mean stronger action will be taken on chemicals that may cause cancer and genetic mutations or interfere with reproduction. Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said Bill S-5 will ensure Canadians are protected from harmful chemicals.
“Keeping Canadians safe and healthy requires policies that are supported by the most recent scientific evidence because everyone deserves to live in a healthy environment. With the passing of Bill S-5, we are placing even greater focus on protecting the health of all Canadians from harmful chemicals, especially those who are more susceptible or highly exposed to environmental and health risks. As we begin the implementation process, we will use the latest science and methodology to reduce risks to Canadians and the environment,” said Duclos.
“The world has changed in the last 20 years, and as of today, Canada’s cornerstone environmental law has changed with it. The modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) responds to a changing global chemicals landscape and consideration of new science. We’ve made changes to ensure that we have the best possible tools to safeguard the health of Canadians and their environment from a wide range of substances. By affirming that every individual in Canada has a right to a healthy environment, CEPA will help protect vulnerable populations and contribute to a stronger, more resilient Canada. All parliamentarians contributed to these amendments, and we will continue our work in the future,” added Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault.
According to a media release, the update will:
-Better protect vulnerable populations who are most impacted by pollution.
-Advance Indigenous reconciliation by confirming the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples including free, prior, and informed consent, and the role of Indigenous knowledge in decision-making related to the protection of the environment and human health, and by adding new reporting requirements.
-Require a new Plan of Chemicals Management Priorities, increase the assessment of cumulative effects of exposure to multiple chemicals, and develop a Watch List to support the shift to safer chemicals.
-Promote the development and implementation of scientifically justified alternative testing methods and strategies to reduce reliance on vertebrate animal testing.
-Incorporate an environmental purpose into the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) so that environmental risks resulting from drugs can be managed and so that a modernized environmental regulatory framework for drugs can be developed under the FDA.
Since 1999, The Environmental Protection Act has lead to actions including banning six single-use plastic items, prohibiting the release of plastic micro-beads from toiletries and banning asbestos and products containing asbestos, which is known to cause cancer.
