Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist. Some time back, I
promised a look at whether Canada's Chemical Management Plan
provides a model for TSCA reform. This post will provide that
look. Bottom line: While our neighbor to the north has
undertaken and accomplished a great deal over the past decade,
it has done so with one hand tied behind its back. Canada's
activism on chemical safety issues is remarkable, given that
Canada has only about 2% of the global chemicals market, and
that a large fraction of the chemicals used there is imported.
Population-wise, it's also much smaller than the US. Yet Canada
was the first country in the world to tackle the huge legacy of
un- and under-assessed chemicals that were – as with TSCA in the
US – grandfathered into its regulatory system decades ago. What
did Canada do? In the 1990's, concern was mounting among the
Canadian public in response to increasing evidence of widespread
exposure to hazardous chemicals, especially those that are
persistent or bioaccumulative,