Environment committee  I'm not talking about getting access to CBI. I'm talking about the test data.

Environment committee  We will be suggesting amendments to that effect. They will be comparable to the ones that were put in the Pest Control Products Act. There's a precedent already in terms of what has already been done in the law, to make a distinction between CBI and confidential test data and to make the availability of data more transparent.

Environment committee  First of all, lead itself is toxic under CEPA. CEPA doesn't then regulate lead in products, and in these products in particular. We have addressed this problem under the Hazardous Products Act. After six years of talking about it, we came up with a regulation that made, in my mind, a completely artificial distinction between children's jewellery and jewellery in general.

Environment committee  Another mechanism, which has been suggested by Toronto's medical officer of health in a report addressing children's health as well as been supported by my organization, is the notion of an overarching mandate and cross-departmental commitment to ensuring children's health protection across all of the areas where regulated activities can have an effect on children's health.

Environment committee  You started out talking about agricultural pesticides, and that issue is a little different.

Environment committee  My colleagues, who worked for the last six years on the DSL categorization exercise, were often frustrated with the lack of coordination between the two departments. I think it's improving, but I need to defer to my colleagues, who have been involved in the deep details of that more so than I'm able to convey to you today.

Environment committee  I would say the situation has improved. Go ahead, Kapil.

Environment committee  Okay.

Environment committee  Can I respond to that?

Environment committee  At the risk of talking when I haven't prepared myself on the topic, because I focused on products, I think you're pointing out a really important issue. You're focusing on areas where the concern is the greatest, in terms of health concerns from air pollution, and in particular on concerns about the smog-forming air pollutants, the so-called “criteria air contaminants” that are primarily coming from transportation and some large industrial sources.

Environment committee  Yes, it's interdepartmental, but it's also an inter-jurisdictional issue, because we have tended to put to the level of Canada-wide standards some of the most difficult and intractable issues, such as the smog-forming air pollutants, and we need to do a better job of controlling them.

Environment committee  Are you asking with respect to new chemicals or with respect to what Mr. Glover has been talking about?

Environment committee  It's for new chemicals.

Environment committee  Paul wants to answer, but no, the onus is on proponents--industry--to provide data. However, I would say that the evaluation also considers more so-called independent published peer-reviewed literature and/or it should. That's certainly the case for the evaluation of pesticides, which I know a bit more about, as far as being more up to date on new substances goes.

Environment committee  That speaks to another one of the recommendations we have made, which is the decision about risk. The decision to decide that a substance is CEPA-toxic is a scientific decision and should not be a cabinet decision.