ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ECOJUSTICE, DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION, CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND BREAST CANCER ACTION QUEBEC
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – A coalition of environmental, health and justice groups, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and Breast Cancer Action Quebec, have welcomed an important first step in tackling the threats posed by forever chemicals in the federal government’s proposed class listing order of PFAS.
Today, the federal government published the Final State of PFAS Report under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The report concluded that PFAS meets the criteria to be designated as ‘toxic’ under CEPA. A proposed order to add PFAS as a class of toxic substances to Schedule 1 of CEPA was published for public comment.
The government also announced a phased approach to managing the risks of PFAS that will include prohibitions, starting with firefighting foams, followed by consumer products such as cosmetics, food packaging, and textiles, including firefighting turnout gear, and later industrial, medical and transport uses and fluorinated gases.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are a range of synthetic chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment, meaning they can accumulate in our bodies and environment over time.
PFAS harm our health, and have been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancers, such as testicular, breast and thyroid cancer, liver damage, low infant birth weight, immune system impairment, infertility, endometriosis and asthma.
Consumer products, including cookware, cosmetics, and food packaging are a significant source of PFAS exposure for most people.
There are thousands of PFAS. That is why it is crucial that the federal government list and regulate PFAS as a class of toxic substances to keep people in Canada safe. This approach is scientifically warranted due to the many shared properties of PFAS, and will enable a much-needed comprehensive approach to risk management.
The PFAS class proposed for listing excludes fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known commercially as Teflon. The scope of the PFAS class was reduced by the federal government in 2024 under industry pressure. The government plans to assess fluoropolymers separately.
Other jurisdictions, such as France, the EU and more than 30 US states, are leading the way with policies and regulations that restrict and prohibit the use of PFAS. At a time when Canada is seeking new trade partners, it is important that it adopts strong environmental and health regulations to meet international standards.
Industry should support this streamlined regulatory approach as there is no realistic alternative to addressing the real and ever-present hazards from PFAS. Assessing PFAS on a case-by-case basis is not practical or realistic due to the sheer volume of chemicals and may result in one harmful, banned PFAS being swapped out for another harmful, but not yet banned PFAS.
Environmental and health groups welcome the work done so far by the federal government to get the regulatory process to this point, but urge a final order to list PFAS as toxic under CEPA as soon as possible to provide the government with greater ability to regulate these highly hazardous chemicals.
Cassie Barker, Senior Program Manager for Toxics at Environmental Defence:
“Today’s announcement is a critical first step in Canada’s fight for freedom from toxic PFAS. Industry has known for decades that these “forever chemicals” harm people and communities, but instead of phasing out these cancer-linked, hormone disrupting chemicals, they’ve continued to rake in record profits at the expense of our health. Canada must move quickly to kick PFAS to the curb, including regulations that restrict PFAS in everyday products.”
Elaine MacDonald, Healthy Communities Director at Ecojustice:
“As these forever chemicals continue to compound in our bodies and the environment, the urgency of the PFAS crisis continues to intensify. While today’s announcement is an important milestone, critical work to address PFAS pollution remains. With a federal election looming ahead, we cannot afford to lose momentum. The next steps are to finalize the order listing PFAS as a class of toxic substances under CEPA and then get busy banning and restricting uses of these persistent pollutants. Canada needs to catch up to more progressive jurisdictions like France, especially if it wants to diversify trade in response to US tariffs.”
Dr. Lyndia Dernis, MD, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE):
“We are witnessing the early stages of a public health emergency in Canada and around the globe. PFAS “forever chemicals” are now ubiquitous, and their severe, long-term health consequences could impact generations to come. As a physician, I applaud the measures taken today and I look forward to continued action on PFAS. People deserve a future in which they don’t need to worry that the foods they eat, the clothing they wear, the water they drink, and their experiences in the healthcare system are unnecessarily exposing them to these dangerous chemicals.”
Milena Gioia, Coordinator, Popular Education and Advocacy at Breast Cancer Action Québec:
“Toxic substances like PFAS pose a serious threat to our health, linked to hormone-related cancers, infertility, complications in pregnancy and fetal development, and endometriosis to name a few. While we commend the government’s first step in regulating PFAS, we will remain vigilant to ensure concrete actions are taken to protect the Canadian population from these ‘forever’ chemicals. The French government’s ambitious PFAS regulation sets a valuable example, and we hope Canada will quickly follow suit to strengthen its regulations and safeguard public health.”
Sabaa Khan, Climate Director, David Suzuki Foundation:
“Canada is proposing to declare PFAS as toxic – a long overdue designation that will make it possible to regulate this class of toxic chemicals and make sure we do not fall behind other jurisdictions in addressing this public health risk. Even though studies dating as far back as the 1960s found these substances to be harmful, phased-out substances were often replaced with other synthetic chemicals that pose similar risks to human and environmental health.
“Like other persistent organic pollutants, PFAS accumulate in the Arctic region, causing disproportionate toxic harm to communities far removed from their production and consumption chains. This new designation of PFAS as a class will enhance the effectiveness of chemical risk governance, which has proven to be unable to keep up with the speed at which new substances are being introduced to the market.”
Click here to read our backgrounder for more information
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
The David Suzuki Foundation works through science and education to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life now, and for the future.
Breast Cancer Action Quebec (BCAQ) is a feminist advocacy organization focused on breast cancer prevention and environmental health. Through education and policy action, BCAQ challenges toxic exposures and health injustices to drive systemic change. Learn more at www.acsqc.ca.
Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is a physician-directed non-profit organization working to secure human health by protecting the planet. Since its founding in 1994, CAPE’s work has achieved substantial policy victories in collaboration with many partners in the environmental and health movements. From coast to coast to coast, the organization operates throughout the country with regional committees active in most provinces and all territories.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
Naoual Laaroussi, Breast Cancer Action Quebec, naoual.laaroussi@acsqc.ca
Reykia Fick, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, media@cape.ca
Melanie Karalis, David Suzuki Foundation, mkaralis@davidsuzuki.org
Zoryana Cherwick, Ecojustice, zcherwick@ecojustice.ca
