Action Alerts
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Current status: Open
The Government of Canada is seeking comments on the Risk Management Approach for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), excluding fluoropolymers, notice of which was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, Vol. 159, No. 10 on March 8, 2025. The document is open for a 60-day public comment period ending on May 7, 2025.
The comments received on the Risk Management Scope and the Revised Risk Management Scope for PFAS were considered in developing the Risk Management Approach document and do not need to be resubmitted. Comments received will be considered during the development of risk management activities.
Background
PFAS, sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”, are a large group of extremely persistent human-made substances used in a wide range of everyday products, such as food packaging, drugs and cosmetics.
They are also used in industrial processes and products, and specialized applications including certain firefighting foams, lubricants, and as repellants for dirt, water and grease.
The Risk Management Approach outlines the proposed risk management actions under consideration through a phased prohibition for the class of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers: This approach would start with Phase 1, prohibition of the use of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, not currently regulated in firefighting foams, due to high potential for environmental and human exposure. Phase 2 would include prohibition of the uses of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, not needed for the protection of health, safety or the environment, which includes consumer applications. Prioritization of uses for prohibition is based on and will take into account costs and benefits, availability of suitable alternatives, and other socio-economic considerations. Phase 3 would be prohibition of the uses of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, requiring further evaluation of the role of PFAS for which currently there may not be feasible alternatives and taking into consideration socio-economic factors. Details on the proposed uses to be regulated in Phase 2 and Phase 3 are provided in the Risk Management Approach.
Privacy Act Notice Statement
The personal information is collected under the authority of section 5 of the Department of the Environment Act and subsection 7(1) of the Financial Administration Act.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is requesting your feedback on the Risk Management Approach for PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers. The information is collected, used and disclosed for the purpose of allowing stakeholders and Canadians the opportunity to provide formal written comments on the Risk Management Approach. Your participation and decision to provide any information is voluntary.
The personal information created, held or collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada is protected under the Privacy Act. Information in this survey will be used, disclosed and retained in accordance with the conditions listed in the Personal Information Bank Outreach Activities PSU 938.
Any questions or comments regarding this privacy notice may be directed to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Access to Information and Privacy Division at ECATIP-ECAIPRP@ec.gc.ca. If you are not satisfied that your privacy has been adequately respected, you have the right to file a complaint. You may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by calling their information center at 1-800-282-1376 or by visiting their contact page.
Join in: How to participate
You are invited to review and submit your comments on the Risk Management Approach.
Online
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Single Window. Once an account is created, click the Chemicals Management Plan link, then select Initiative “Chemicals Management – General”. Within the form, enter the publication name in the Submission Title field.
By email
Email: substances@ec.gc.ca
By mail
Send a letter with your ideas or comments to the address in the contact information below.
Please include “Consultation – Risk Management Approach for PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers” in the subject line of your email or letter.
Any person who provides information to the Minister of the Environment may request that it be treated as confidential under section 313 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
Who is the focus of this consultation
We would like to hear from:
- A diverse range of industry sectors, including:
- Industry using lubricants and repellents in their products (for dirt, water and grease)
- Refrigerants industry
- Fire-fighting and chemical synthesis industries
- Textile industry (carpet, furniture, clothing)
- Cosmetics industry
- Food packaging industry
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Indigenous Peoples
- Non-governmental organizations
- Interested Canadians
- Federal, provincial and municipal governmental organizations
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Please submit your comments by May 19th, 2025, for terrestrial species undergoing normal consultations and by October 19th, 2025, for terrestrial species undergoing extended consultations.
For a description of the consultation paths these species will undergo, please visit: The Minister of the Environment's Response to Species at Risk Assessments.
Send comments to sararegistry@ec.gc.ca or to the contact information below.
Species at Risk Public Registry Office
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 Saint-Joseph Blvd.
Gatineau, Québec
K1A 0H3
Phone: 1-800-668-6767
sararegistry@ec.gc.ca
Find out more information on the consultation and proposed amendments to the list of species.
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- Posted by Eleanor Willner-Fraser
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Webinars will be held on February 19th, 2025, to provide a high-level overview of the preliminary draft DACCS protocol and answer questions. Registration prior to the event is mandatory, through the following links:
- French session (10am–12pm EST): Webex French
- English session (2pm–4pm EST): Webex English
ECCC has also published version 1.2 of the Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration systems (RGGERS) federal offset protocol for use under Canada’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Offset Credit System. Summary of main changes to the RGGERS protocol includes:
- The GHG emission reduction quantification methodology is revised to be more conservative for projects where a pre-existing refrigeration system with a refrigerant containing a portion of ozone-depleting substances is replaced by a new system installation subject to a regulatory GWP limit.
- The replacement of multiple pre-existing refrigeration systems with a single new refrigeration system is now eligible.
The protocol can be found in the Compendium of Federal Offset Protocols.
About the Preliminary Draft Direct Air Carbon Dioxide Capture and Geological Storage (DACCS) Protocol
The DACCS federal offset protocol will be intended for use by a proponent undertaking a project to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere and store it in subsurface geological formations. Implementation of project activities can reduce the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere as a complement to GHG emission reduction efforts.
A project under this protocol can only generate GHG removals from the storage of CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere in onshore, subsurface geological formations. GHG removals cannot be generated under this protocol from the storage of point-source captured CO2 (e.g., industrial facilities), the storage of CO2 in any materials or products (e.g., concrete or mining waste), or the use of CO2 for the purposes of enhanced oil recovery.
DACCS is a relatively new offset project type, in a still evolving space. ECCC is seeking specific feedback on technical issues including how the federal offset protocol can work effectively with provincial regulatory frameworks for CO2 geological storage; how to define appropriate permanence monitoring requirements based on risk of reversals; and how to encourage the use of renewable energy. Comments on the preliminary draft DACCS protocol will help to inform the final design of the DACCS protocol and would be considered as part of possible amendments to the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations in the future.
Ongoing Protocol Development
ECCC continues to work to develop additional federal offset protocols including: Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle, Reducing Manure Methane Emissions, Enhanced Soil Organic Carbon, and Improved Forest Management on Public Land. Further information on federal offset protocols can be found on Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System: Protocols webpage.
Information on registered projects and the status of federal offset credits is available on Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Public Registry.
Thank you for your interest in Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System.
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A public comment period on the summary of the IPD will be held from January 21st, 2025 to February 10th, 2025. Comments received by February 10th, 2025 will be included in a Summary of Issues prepared by IAAC, which will include a summary of the issues raised by Indigenous groups and other participants. IAAC will provide the Summary of Issues to the Proponent and will post a copy on the Registry.
Comments on the Project can be provided to SussexRegion-RegiondeSussex@iaac-aeic.gc.ca or through the "Submit a Comment" function available on the project page of the Registry (Reference Number 89179) at https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/89179
Users of this feature must agree to the Terms of Use for online submissions, available at Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (iaac-aeic.gc.ca).
Important note: Comments and other documents received by IAAC during this public comment period will be added to the project file and posted on the Registry. For submissions that are not submitted directly to the Registry (such as comments and documents provided by email), IAAC will remove sensitive or confidential information, such as home addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and signatures, before posting them on the Registry. If you wish to provide comments or documents containing confidential or sensitive information that you believe should not be disclosed to the public, please contact IAAC before submitting them.
Virtual Information Sessions
IAAC is also organizing virtual public information sessions (via Zoom) to learn more about the project, the federal impact assessment process, and how to submit comments on the summary of the Initial Project Description. Sessions will be held in English and French at these dates:
English Virtual Sessions
- February 4th, 2025, from 1:30pm to 3pm (AST)
- February 5th, 2025, from 6:30pm to 8pm (AST)
French Virtual Session
- February 4th, 2025, from 6:30pm to 8pm (AST)
For information on how to attend a session, please visit the information session section on the project page on the Registry.
If you have any questions, please contact IAAC by phone at (782) 641-5809 or email at SussexRegion-RegiondeSussex@iaac-aeic.gc.ca. If desired, IAAC is also available to meet and discuss the Project and the impact assessment process.
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As members of the New Brunswick Environmental Rights Caucus (one of the caucuses of the NBEN), we want to kick off 2025 as the year that the Act Respecting the Right to a Healthy Environment is passed into law!
We need the help of every member group of the NBEN! The attached Brief summarizes our work since 2009. If passed, it will mean that every New Brunswicker would have the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, consume healthy uncontaminated food, be informed about pollutants, and participate in decision-making. We would all have a voice, including our children, and the tools to help us take action.
After reading the Brief, would you be so kind as to answer three questions using this form?
DEADLINE FOR RESPONSES: Saturday, January 25th
1) What are the specific environmental issues that are of concern to you and your organization?
2) Could you give us some examples regarding how the Act Respecting the Right to a Healthy Environment would help you address these environmental issues in your daily work?
3) Can you please give us an official endorsement for the Act Respecting the Right to a Healthy Environment? A paragraph would be perfect!
Your responses will become part of our supporting documents as we help prepare the Bill to become law in 2025! Please respond with your examples and thoughts of how the Bill would assist you in your work.
All of us together can make a big impact when the Bill is introduced!
Kind Regards,
Marg Milburn and the Environmental Rights Caucus
Sam Arnold, Sustainable Energy Group, Carleton County
Bonnie Hamilton Bogart, Voices for Sustainable Environments and Communities
Denise Melanson, Council of Canadians, Kent County Chapter
Gordon Dalzell, Citizens Coalition for Clean Air
Michael Hardy, New Brunswick Environmental Network
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On November 4, 2024, the draft regulations for the Oil and Gas Pollution Cap, formerly Emissions Cap, were finally released -- marking Canada’s first real attempt to put enforceable limits on the fossil fuel industry’s pollution, the largest driver of the climate crisis in our country.
Let's be clear — this draft policy isn’t perfect. Right now, it contains major delays and loopholes that allow the fossil fuel industry to buy their way out of reducing their emissions by purchasing offsets instead. Even still, this policy could be a serious game-changer — and Big Oil knows it. Pollution cap opponents are spending millions of dollars to water it down, or scrap it entirely. And the clock is ticking. We need to strengthen and lock this regulation in before it’s too late.
Key Consultation Feedback on Pollution Cap Draft Regulations:
- No more delays: We demand that these regulations are finalized and implemented immediately, ideally ahead of the federal budget and the 2025 election.
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Ramp up the ambition: We’re calling on the federal government to align these regulations with Canada’s climate goal of a 40-45 per cent emissions reduction by 2030
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Go further to usher in a just transition: These regulations are just the beginning. We call on the government to go further to advance a transition away from fossil fuels towards a 100% renewable energy future. That means investment in Indigenous-owned and community-led climate solutions and investments in training programs for workers.
