Toxic substances management process

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) is an Act respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development. The Act provides the federal government with new tools to protect the environment and human health, establishes strict timelines for managing toxic substances and requires the virtual elimination of releases to the environment from toxic substances which are bioaccumulative, persistent and result primarily from human activity.

For substances that are found "toxic" under CEPA 1999 and are added to the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Act, Environment Canada and Health Canada must propose an instrument to establish preventive or control actions for managing the substance and thereby reducing or eliminating risks to human health and the environment posed by its use and/or release.

Administered by Environment Canada in conjunction with Health Canada, the Toxics Management Process is the approach taken to develop management tools including preventive or control instruments for substances that are added to the List of Toxic Substances under CEPA 1999. Using this process, Environment Canada and Health Canada develop risk management actions in a way that ensures stakeholder consultations are effective and the timelines set out in the Act for managing toxic substances are met.

Related links

• Toxic substances management process: virtual elimination
• Responsibilities in the toxic substances management process
• Toxic substances management process: risk management strategy
• Toxic substances management process: stakeholder consultations and involvement
• Toxic substances management process: management tools and instruments