Chemicals Management Plan Moves into New Phase with Release of Draft Screening Assessments for Batch 7 Substances

News Release
2009-152
September 4, 2009
For immediate release

Backgrounder: Batch 7 of the Chemicals Management Plan
Frequently Asked Questions:  Batch 7 of the Chemicals Management Plan

OTTAWA – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister, today released the draft screening assessment reports and risk management scopes for 14 substances assessed in Batch 7 of the Chemicals Management Plan.

“With the release of the seventh batch of substances out of 12 identified under the Chemicals Management Plan, the Government is moving into the second half of this important project,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “We are continuing to meet all of the commitments we made to Canadians when we launched the Chemicals Management Plan in 2006.”

“There is no doubt that this world-leading effort to assess these potentially harmful substances puts Canada at the forefront in the management of chemicals” said Minister Prentice. “The information gathered will allow us to make rapid progress to further protect the health of Canadians and their environment.”

Of the 14 substances assessed in this batch, three may pose a risk to human health (Michler’s ketone, n-BGE and 2-butanone oxime). Michler’s ketone is primarily found in Canada as a residue in paper colourants; n-BGE is used as a diluent in epoxy resins, which are then used to make coatings, adhesives, binders, sealants, fillers, electrical insulation and resins; and, 2-butanone oxime is used primarily to prevent film from forming in alkyd paints, primers, varnishes and stains.

Five of the remaining 11 substances, which are no longer in commerce in Canada, have hazardous properties that could affect the environment if commercial activity resumes.  Therefore it is being proposed that the Significant New Activity (SNAc) provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 be applied, which require new and future uses to be notified and assessed.

Notices containing summaries of the draft screening assessment reports will be published in Canada Gazette, Part I on September 5, 2009.  The complete draft screening assessments as well as risk management scope documents for all Batch 7 substances can be found on the  Chemicals Management Plan website. Interested parties can submit comments on these documents until November 4, 2009.  

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Media Enquiries:
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Josée Bellemare
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
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Fréderic Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
(819) 997-1441

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