Environment Committee on Sept. 26th, 2006

[Charles Ethier]

It is a fair way. The risk assessments that will have to be done will be a shared responsibility. There will be a requirement for industry, or whoever claims ownership of a particular substance, to provide the departments with information that will allow us to conduct the appropriate assessment to determine whether or not there are either environmental impacts or health impacts to manage.

[Shannon Coombs]

I would again like to point out that the substances that are used in Food and Drugs Act products have been assessed under the Food and Drugs Act. They've either gone through a pre-market notification and assessment or a notification. The actual end product has been determined by Health Canada to be safe, and a lot of these products have DIN numbers put on them prior to being allowed to be for sale. We're strictly talking about ingredients.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I'm going to flip the question back to you then. Have they not then already demonstrated sufficient safety for the product?

[Charles Ethier]

Under the Food and Drugs Act, they've received a health assessment. However, they have not been assessed for their impact on the environment and the indirect impact on human health as a result of being exposed through the environment. These assessments will have to be conducted so that they can all be compliant with the act.

[Hugh Benevides]

I would certainly embrace Mr. Ethier's recommendation that there be a greater shared responsibility and a greater responsibility on the part of industry.

To bring in the element of the previous question on how to deal with the in-commerce list, some of these substances are pharmaceuticals or the substances contained within pharmaceuticals. Since CEPA came into force, we've had a great deal of evidence on the very environmental effects of pharmaceuticals in water and the resulting impact both on the environment and, indeed, on human health.

I again think that this committee needs to look at the adequacy of the new substances notification framework for regulating those or first looking at them and then potentially regulating them. This is the ideal opportunity to do that, because of those effects.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Very, very briefly, Ms. Coombs.

[Shannon Coombs]

As of 2001, all substances in products under the Food and Drugs Act are regulated under CEPA using the NSNs. What we're asking for is that any of the substances used in the last 20 years simply be put on a list and put through a categorization process, just as existing substances do, and that they be treated as such under CEPA. With the scheduling of the Food and Drugs Act not taking place, it has put those substances into limbo. We would like legislative clarity and direction from Parliament on those.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you.

I would like to thank the members, and certainly our witnesses.

The meeting is adjourned.