Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 15, 2023
The Projected Order of Business for Monday May 15th, 2023 lists Bill S-5 at 12:00 pm ET. Bill S-5 The Minister of Environment and Climate Change — Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act — Report stage (resuming debate on the motions in Group No. 1). Report stage concurrence motion — question to be put immediately after the report stage motions in amendment are disposed of, pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(9). Motion for third reading — may be made in the same sitting when no report stage motion in amendment proposed and the bill is concurred in at that stage, pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(11). Health Canada has developed a fee proposal that lays out the fees for NHPs that would support activities under the Natural Health Products Regulations. The proposed fees are tailored to NHPs and include mitigation and accountability measures that follow best practices already in place for drugs and medical devices. You will likely be shocked by some of these proposed fees which will have a significant impact on small and medium sized businesses. There are three proposed fee lines: The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has made changes to the use pattern of the insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin (Lambda), the widely used active ingredient in some popular products. Effective April 29, 2023, crops treated with lambda cannot be fed as livestock feed in Canada, including any seed screenings or aftermath. The report examines disaster risks from three of the most concerning hazards facing Canadians – earthquakes, wildland fires, and floods, with a section on the cascading effects of pandemics like COVID-19 on these three hazards. Environment and Climate Change Canada is inviting you to participate in an online engagement session to discuss the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers). This session will be held on the PlaceSpeak platform and be open for 32 days, from May 9th to June 9th, 2023. The engagement session is part of a review of these regulations, which are jointly managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada through the New Substances Program. Pursuant to section 74 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health have conducted a screening assessment of 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, 7-(diethylamino)-4-methyl-, hereinafter referred to as coumarin 1. The Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS RN) for coumarin 1 is 91-44-1. This substance was identified as a priority for assessment as it met categorization criteria under subsection 73(1) of CEPA. Considering all the information presented in this screening assessment, it is concluded that coumarin 1 meets the criteria under paragraph 64(c) of CEPA as it is entering or may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health. Considering all the information presented in this screening assessment, it is concluded that DGEBA-DA resin, soya alkyd resin, and polyurethane-33 do not meet the criteria under paragraph 64(c) of CEPA as they are not entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger to human life or health in Canada. However, it is concluded that PHMB (CAS RNs 32289-58-0 and 27083-27-8) meets the criteria under paragraph 64(c) of CEPA as it is entering or may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health. The CAN/CGSB-43.147 standard is intended for incorporation by reference into the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR). Until the Regulations are amended to adopt this 2023 edition of the standard, stakeholders must continue to comply with the 2018 edition of TP14877 “Containers for Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail, a Transport Canada Standard”. Health Canada has completed a review of aluminum in foods in Canada and is proposing to revise certain permitted uses of aluminum-containing food additives. The proposed changes to the Lists of Permitted Food Additives are described in the information document NPP/ADP-0040.
The British Columbia Policy, Regulation and Research Department is requesting feedback on proposed amendments to Part 5, Chemical Agents and Biological Agents, sections 5.97 to 5.105, of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The amendments are related to emergency planning. The Ontario government is investing $9.5 million over the next three years to equip farmers with the technology they need to maximize the health of their soil and increase their productivity and profitability. WorkSafeNB and the Government of New Brunswick are seeking public feedback on proposed amendments to New Brunswick’s First Aid Regulation. Nova SAFE is a mobile-friendly site that provides employers, supervisors and workers access to safety information and regulatory requirements on any device. The site includes information on a wide variety of topics such as fall protection, personal protective equipment and fire extinguishers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information collection associated with FDA’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program. Either electronic or written comments on the collection of information must be submitted by July 10, 2023. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a virtual public meeting on May 16-18, 2023, from 1:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern Time to consult the Human Studies Review Board (HSRB), an independent advisory committee, about the scientific and ethical conduct of two human health studies on formaldehyde, as well as a draft weight of evidence document on the use of human studies for evaluating formaldehyde’s acute respiratory effects. Only California Air Resources Board (CARB)-verified on-board diagnostic (OBD) test devices can be used to perform OBD compliance testing. CARB’s device certification team is actively collaborating with multiple device vendors to expand the selection of verified devices. CARB will update the OBD Test Device webpage as device vendors complete CARB’s verification process. Verification is necessary to ensure that OBD test devices collect and submit the vehicle data as required by CARB regulations. Further, the verification process helps ensure a robust product makes it to market and does not interfere with vehicle operations upon use. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is proposing to update the Proposition 65 No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) for ethylene oxide by amending Title 27, California Code of Regulations, section 25705(b). The proposed updated NSRL for ethylene oxide is 0.058 micrograms per day. The European Commission adopted on 3 May 2023 a regulation prohibiting the use and placing on the market of lead in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) articles. This concludes a process that started in 2016 when ECHA introduced a restriction proposal for the first time. The four-week feedback period is open until 3 May 2023. Please submit your feedback through the Have your say portal, using the dedicated template. The Taxonomy Regulation tasks the Commission with establishing the actual list of environmentally sustainable activities by defining technical screening criteria for each environmental objective through delegated acts. In 2022 the Codex Secretariat began work on reviewing the formatting and layout of Codex texts to ensure consistency, to meet FAO and international publishing standards and to enhance readability. A digital object identifier has also been added to standards as they are published, providing a unique reference that can support tracking and citation of each text. The project is part of the Codex Secretariat’s contribution to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Safety Share In our current landscape, many workers are experiencing an increase in verbal abuse, threats of violence, sexual harassment, and racism from customers and sometimes from colleagues. Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. Take this opportunity to mark in your calendars next years Bakery Showcase, May 14, 15 2023 in Vancouver BC. Ekotox Centers together with partners and representatives of Cefic, Eurometaux, EPMF are all kindly willing to participate on the REACH Conference Bratislava 2023. Taking place in New York City, LightFair 2023 is the must-attend architectural and commercial lighting event of the year. Ready for the Ontario food and beverage processing industry’s best annual event? It’s that time again to hear from industry experts and network with colleagues at Food and Beverage Ontario’s 9th Annual Conference. Location: Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3M9. Time: 11:30 am to 6:30 pm ET. The workshop will be an opportunity to bring stakeholders together and develop a common understanding of what new approach methodologies (NAMs), can achieve in the short and long term. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will host its annual Conference & Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on June 19-21, 2023. This comprehensive event brings together thousands of the industry’s leading professionals who will attend more than 110 educational sessions addressing the latest issues, challenges, and trends in the world of fire, electrical, and life safety. Over two days delegates will come to learn from dozens industry leaders and technical experts about the exciting opportunities within Canada’s downstream sector. ChemEdge 2023 is bringing supply chain professionals all along the chemical distribution industry together to share best practices and business solutions. 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 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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