Environment committee  Yes, our current assessment was—

Environment committee  I would add that we shouldn't be setting up an impossible choice for people to practise their culture and to eat food that is nutritious and available. I think that the choice should most definitely be put to industry to question all of these claims of essentiality that are bei

Environment committee  The world's leading scientists on this issue have been pushing, since 2015, for the world's governments to deal with a class-based approach. When Canada began this process in 2021, 4,700 was the number being used by the OECD. In the past three years, every time we look, we find m

Environment committee  I think that the U.S. states have increased reporting. They now require reporting on product applications. They are moving on specific product types. We heard about cosmetics. We heard about food contact materials. These are exposures that seem unnecessary. These are non-essentia

Environment committee  Firefighters themselves are extremely articulate on this very complex issue. If you ask a firefighter about PFAS, they will tell you that not only are they being exposed through their gear and the foams they've been using on the job, but they've also been actively doing research

Environment committee  I would say to companies, from production through to public brands, and retailers throughout the supply chain that the smart money is moving away from PFAS. Insurers are creating a carve-out for PFAS, so they are no longer covering these liabilities. This is a moment in the marke

Environment committee  The EU has laid out a road map beginning from an 18-month period to a 13-year period. The far end of that gives lots of time for innovation in the market to address uses such as in electronics, where the market needs to shift and innovation can meet that gap, which is what happen

Environment committee  I would say there is an important relationship between microplastics and PFAS. Microplastics can often transport PFAS through the environment. Often, how we see that is by accumulation occurring within fish, which is when we can see that consuming a serving of freshwater fish ca

Environment committee  Good afternoon, and thank you. I'm Cassie Barker with Environmental Defence. Thank you for including PFAS in your study. As mentioned, this class of chemicals poses a significant danger to freshwater ecosystems, source waters and human and environmental health. This committee h

Environment committee  I agree. A right to know is fundamental, and I think that we're talking about people who are burdened with multiple sources and cumulative impacts of multiple product-based exposures, and their own attempts to manage those exposures. The labelling would be the absolute floor to s

Environment committee  Thank you for the question. I would say that we are not talking about eliminating confidentiality. Canada has a very comprehensive regime for managing the confidentiality of the data that is provided to them by applicants in their process for chemicals assessments and managemen

Environment committee  Thank you so much for the question. I would say that Canada has done a better job of framing.... Where TSCA has not necessarily deemed substances to meet their threshold where their restrictions necessarily come into play, the CEPA toxic...is quite a useful tool for triggering c

Environment committee  I would say you're correct in that this is indeed an opportunity for many sectors in Canada to have the playing field addressed so that their efforts towards cleaning up their own supply chain are acknowledged and supported by this government. I think we have heard repeatedly fro

Environment committee  I would add that in cases where the provinces are seeking to take leadership on these issues, industry has repeatedly requested that the federal government take leadership on toxics. I think this is an opportunity for this committee to respond to that call, take a strong, progres

Environment committee  Hello, everyone. Thank you, ENVI members. I am Cassie Barker, senior program manager of the toxics program at Environmental Defence. My colleagues and I appreciate this opportunity to appear before this committee and to work together to strengthen this bill. CEPA is essent