Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Marginal note:Research, investigation and evaluation

68 For the purpose of assessing whether a substance is toxic or is capable of becoming toxic — or for the purpose of assessing whether to control, or the manner in which to control, a substance, a product that contains a substance or a product that may release a substance into the environment — including a substance specified on the list of toxic substances in Schedule 1, either Minister may

• (a) collect or generate data and conduct investigations respecting any matter in relation to the substance or product including

  • (i) whether short-term exposure to the substance causes significant effects,

  • (ii) the potential of organisms in the environment to be widely exposed to the substance,

  • (iii) whether organisms are exposed to the substance via multiple pathways,

  • (iii.1) whether exposure to the substance in combination with exposure to other substances has the potential to cause cumulative effects,

  • (iii.2) whether there is a vulnerable population or environment in relation to the substance,

  • (iv) the ability of the substance to cause a reduction in metabolic functions of an organism,

  • (v) the ability of the substance to cause delayed or latent effects over the lifetime of an organism, including carcinogenic, mutagenic or neurotoxic effects,

  • (vi) the ability of the substance to cause survival impairment of an organism,

  • (vi.1) the ability of the substance to disrupt the reproductive system or endocrine system of an organism,

  • (vii) whether exposure to the substance has the potential to contribute to population failure of a species,

  • (viii) the ability of the substance to cause transgenerational effects,

  • (ix) quantities, uses and disposal of the substance,

  • (x) the manner in which the substance is released into the environment,

  • (xi) the extent to which the substance can be dispersed and will persist in the environment,

  • (xii) the existence, development and use of safer or more sustainable alternatives to the substance or product,

  • (xiii) methods of controlling the presence of the substance in the environment,

  • (xiv) methods of reducing the quantity of the substance used or produced or the quantities or concentration of the substance released into the environment, and

  • (xv) the manner in which the public may be provided with information regarding the substance or product, including, in the case of a product, by labelling it;

• (b) correlate and evaluate any data collected or generated under paragraph (a) and publish results of any investigations carried out under that paragraph; and

• (c) provide information and make recommendations respecting any matter in relation to the substance or product, including measures to control the presence of the substance or product in the environment.