Good afternoon, everyone.
We thank the committee for this invitation and for your important deliberations.
Breast Cancer Action works in collaboration with a wide range of groups across Canada but particularly with the women’s health and environmental groups in Quebec. Our 11 organizations think it is vital to put the specific relationship of women to toxics into these deliberations.
Women as a gender carry a heavy load in trying to negotiate how to reduce toxic exposures for our own health and that of our families, particularly our children, but this heavy load is much heavier for racialized women.
In addition, there is a vast range of sex-specific effects from toxic exposures that include increased risk for early-onset puberty, fibroids, endometriosis and hormone-dependent cancers, particularly breast cancer, to name just a few.
The issue of toxic exposures during pregnancy is one of the worst vulnerabilities that women and people with ovaries have to manage as the people responsible for the health of the developing fetus. Pregnancy is an absolutely critical window of vulnerability for the fetus to toxic chemicals with potentially lifelong effects. These include serious neurological disorders, malformations to the reproductive system for both sexes, important effects on metabolism and much else.
Finally, for all these health risks, endocrine-disrupting chemicals are of particular concern because they can cause harm at infinitesimally small doses, meaning that no safe threshold can be established for risk management.
There is an inherent problem in our risk-based system in that it requires there be exposure to toxic chemicals before risk management actions are assessed and implemented. The system requires people in Canada and the environment to be exposed to toxics before action is taken.
The question of confidence in our chemicals management in Canada has rightfully been identified as a major issue. People, particularly women, are always shocked when they learn that substances go into use before they are fully assessed for their health and environmental impacts.
Transparency is the first step to re-establishing confidence in our chemicals management. To be clear, women do not want transparency so that we can choose to not buy products with toxic chemicals. We need transparency so that companies assume responsibility for the substances they use, so that government is accountable to citizens for the actions it takes or doesn’t take, and so that scientists and independent advocacy groups can study the data and make recommendations to government. Right now, we are in the dark on all these issues.
In terms of Bill S-5, we understand there will be more to do to modernize CEPA, but there are appreciable steps forward for the sections it addresses, and, with strengthening amendments, it would move CEPA forward with a significant update. These amendments would include, among others, mandatory labelling of harmful substances, mandatory timelines for assessments, as well as a strong implementation framework for the right to a healthy environment.
Thank you, and we look forward to your questions.