Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 10, 2023
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced July 9-15 as this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. Throughout that week, law enforcement officers in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors. Those exhibiting unsafe driving behaviors will be pulled over and given a warning and/or issued a ticket/citation by law enforcement. CCCA asked for a clarification on the requirements to submit registration amendments for fertilizers and supplements that have completed pre-market authorizations for which a registrant will then finalize artwork on labels by adding graphics and logos. There is conflicting guidance between the Fertilizer Fee Schedule and the modernized Fertilizer Act and Regulations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that changes to artwork that do not alter the approved label contents do not require an amendment. Minor amendments are required for changes to the registered product name or the registrants name and address. A “major” amendment is required for any other changes on the label including the minimum guaranteed analysis, use and dose instructions, safety profile, etc. The CFIA can ask for the final marketplace label including graphics and logos so that they can approve it, however, simply adding graphics and logos is a non-fileable revision so long as the text of the approved label has not been altered. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food launched a new recruitment process for membership on the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council (the Council). More information on the Council, including the portal to apply to become a member, can be found on the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council web page. Producers and feed manufacturers who purchase ingredients to produce pig feed should know the origin of the ingredients. Producers and feed importers should verify that feed ingredients were produced and handled using proper biosecurity measures. Feed importers should be able to provide feed purchasers with information on how the ingredients were produced and handled before to entry into Canada. The Department of Health is issuing this notice to inform stakeholders of the extension to the comment period for the Department’s proposed fees for natural health products. Given the reception of comments requesting an extension to the comment period, the Department has decided to extend this comment period in order to provide additional opportunities for engagement and feedback. The period during which comments may be submitted for this initiative is now from May 12 to August 10, 2023. Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines (FEQGs) describe acceptable quality of the ambient environment. They are based solely on the toxicological effects or hazards of specific substances or groups of substances. FEQGs serve three functions: first they can be an aid to prevent pollution by providing targets for acceptable environmental quality; second, they can assist in evaluating the significance of concentrations of chemical substances currently found in the environment (monitoring of water, sediment, soil and biological tissue); and third, they can serve as performance measures of the effectiveness of risk management activities. The Government of Canada has developed the approach to disclose confidential information and promote transparency in Chemicals Management (the approach) to achieve an appropriate balance between transparency and industry’s right to protect confidential information. The Government of Canada is seeking your comments on proposed amendments to the Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations pertaining to laser products in Canada Gazette Part I. The ministers assessed information on 19 substances (16 chemicals and polymers and three living organisms) new to Canada and determined that they meet the criteria for addition to the Domestic Substances List, under subsection 87(1), 87(5) or 112(1) of CEPA. These 19 substances are therefore being added to the Domestic Substances List and, as a result, are no longer subject to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers) nor to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms). All the amendments contained in this proposal are technical and/or administrative in nature and do not change the intent/scope/application of the TDGR. As such, the amendments are not expected to result in any incremental impacts or costs to stakeholders. Furthermore, the amendments are expected to improve readability for stakeholders by improving internal consistency within the TDGR and adopting the terminology of the Act. The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide regulation in Canada. The public registry is where you can learn more about all pest control products registered for use in Canada.
Four occupational health and safety resources, originally published in English, are now available in five additional languages. The Ontario government is protecting vulnerable and temporary foreign workers by requiring temporary help agencies (THAs) and recruiters to have a licence to operate in the province as of January 1, 2024. Inspections by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development officers have shown that multiple temporary help agencies in Ontario are illegally paying people below the minimum wage and denying other basic employment rights to gain an unfair competitive advantage over law-abiding agencies by undercutting rates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR) released an updated list of draft and final guidance topics that are a priority for the FDA Foods Program to complete during 2023. The list updates the guidance agenda released in February 2023 and focuses on Level 1 draft and final guidances. FDA recently published a revision to Manual of Policies and Procedures (MAPP) 5014.1, Understanding CDER’s Risk-Based Site Selection Model. This MAPP outlines how the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ) will manage the Site Selection Model (SSM) to prioritize manufacturing sites for routine quality-related (i.e., current good manufacturing practice) surveillance inspections. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released for public comment and peer review the Draft Supplement to the Risk Evaluation for 1,4-Dioxane. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to require comprehensive reporting on all six fiber types of asbestos as the agency continues its work to address exposure to this known carcinogen and strengthen the evidence that will be used to further protect people from this dangerous chemical. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is publishing this Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit stakeholder feedback on initiatives PHMSA is considering that may modernize the Hazardous Materials Regulations and improve efficiencies while maintaining or improving a current high level of safety. To fully engage with stakeholders, this ANPRM solicits comments and input on questions related to 46 distinct topics under consideration. Any comments, data, and information received will be used to evaluate and potentially draft proposed amendments. Comments must be received by 3 October 2023. The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has selected vinyl acetate for the Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC)’s review for possible listing under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. The assessment of the impact of glyphosate on the health of humans, animals and the environment did not identify critical areas of concern. Some data gaps are reported in EFSA’s conclusions – as issues that could not be finalised or outstanding issues – for the European Commission and Member States to consider in the next stage of the renewal of approval process. These are the main findings of EFSA’s peer review of the risk assessment of glyphosate, carried out by authorities in four Member States (acting jointly as “Rapporteur Member States”). The assessment of regulatory needs list includes substances for which an assessment either is under development or has been completed. For each substance, the table shows the assessing authority (submitter), the concern, the status and the suggested follow-up action, and the date of the latest update to the list entry. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has voluntarily compiled this list to assist parties in identifying AS-PT combinations that can be used in treated articles. This is either because they fulfil the requirement under Article 58(2) of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012, or they benefit from the derogation under Article 94 of the Regulation. Safety Share If you work outdoors, understand the risks and know what to do if you’ve been exposed. Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. ChemEdge 2023 is bringing supply chain professionals all along the chemical distribution industry together to share best practices and business solutions. Asian Chemicals Forum (ACF) will cover a wide range of topics related to safe chemical management. There is no other health and safety event like this in Canada. Make a plan to join us for this two-day national event that will bring together leaders, change makers, and subject experts representing government, labour, and workplaces, to share their knowledge and experience around current and emerging health and safety issues. The World Food Forum officially unveiled its theme for 2023: “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action” and launched its activities for the year culminating in a series of global events, competitions and actions taking place from 16-20 October at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The International Baking Association (IBA) trade fair, a leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry set for Oct. 22-26 in Munich, will feature an area focused on innovative start-up businesses. The next European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Conference will take place on 28 February 2024 in Helsinki. As we are preparing the programme, we want to hear what would be the most important topics for you. So, fill in our short survey and help us shape a relevant and inspiring stakeholder event.Advocacy
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