Proposed Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Its Salts and Certain Other Compounds Regulations

The proposed Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and its Salts and Certain other Compounds Regulations were published in Part I of the Canada Gazette on December 16, 2006 for a 60-day consultation period.

The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to protect Canada's environment from the use and release of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), its salts and its precursors. The proposed Regulations prohibit the manufacture, use, sale and import of PFOS as well as manufactured items containing PFOS. Proposed five year exemptions are provided for the use, other than for training and testing purposes, of existing stocks of PFOS based aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and the manufacture, use sale and import of PFOS based fume suppressants used in the metal plating industry. Other exemptions are proposed for the use and sale of manufactured items, manufactured or imported prior to the coming into force of these Regulations, as well as the import, sale and use of semiconductor devices and photographic materials that are manufactured in jurisdictions where the use of PFOS is exempted since alternatives for these uses are not yet available.

On July 1, 2006, the Ministers of the Environment and of Health published, in Part I of the Canada Gazette, their final decision on the assessment of PFOS, its salts and certain other compounds. The ecological screening assessment concluded that PFOS, its salts and certain other compounds are or may be entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity. The human health assessment concluded that current levels of PFOS exposure are below levels which might affect human health. Based on the conclusions of the assessment of PFOS, an Order will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette adding PFOS, its salts and certain other compounds to the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999).

A proposed Risk Management Strategy respecting PFOS was published on July 1, 2006 for public consultations. Comments received on the Risk Management Strategy were taken into consideration in the development of the proposed Regulations. A Response to Comments document has been prepared to provide a summary of comments received on the proposed Risk Management Strategy and Environment Canada's responses.

All interested and affected parties are invited to provide their written comments on the proposed Regulations. All comments received will be taken into consideration when developing the final Regulations that are expected to be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette in 2007. Please send your written comments on the proposed Regulations by Wednesday February 14, 2007 to:

Director, Chemicals Sector Division
Environment Canada
351 St. Joseph Blvd., 12th Floor
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact:

Environment Canada - Chemical Management Division
351 St. Joseph Blvd.
17^th floor
Gatineau, QC
K1A 0H3

Tel: 819-997-1640
Fax: 819-997-7121
Email: GR-RM@ec.gc.ca

Date modified:

2013-06-28