The Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act (the Act), enacted in 2023 to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), requires the creation of a “Watch List” of substances capable of becoming toxic to inform Canadians and businesses of substances that they may wish to avoid. On April 28, 2026, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced the publication of the Watch List Approach (the Approach) in the CEPA Registry. The Approach...
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February 9, 2026
Canada Fines Cosmetics Company for Violating CEPA, Including Failing to Submit a Significant New Activity Notification
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced on February 2, 2026, that it fined Estee Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. $750,000 for two violations of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). ECCC states that the offences were related to the failure to inform the government regarding a significant new activity and the failure to comply with a compliance order. In addition to the fine, the Ontario Court of Justice ordered the Company to notify its shareholders about the conviction....
August 29, 2025
Canada’s Plan of Priorities Includes Several Nanoscale Materials
On July 23, 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced the release of the Plan of Priorities, a multi-year plan that outlines upcoming priorities for the assessment of chemical substances. The Plan includes a list of more than 30 substances and substance groups prioritized for assessment and includes new or expanded activities to help assess, control, and manage risks posed by substances. ECCC states that in selecting and prioritizing these substances, considerations included:...
February 14, 2025
OECD Tour de Table Includes Information on International Developments Regarding Nanomaterials
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials between July 2023 and June 2024 -- Tour de Table (Tour de Table). Below are highlights on international developments from the Tour de Table: Canada continues with the risk assessments of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide at the nanoscale that are in commerce in Canada, to evaluate their potential for environmental and...
On October 5, 2024, Canada released three significant documents that move it closer to implementing the 2023 amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). The 2023 legislation, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act (Bill S-5), requires that decisions made under CEPA respect the right to a healthy environment. Canada has released a draft implementation framework setting out how the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health (the...
October 8, 2024
Canada’s Proposed Plan of Priorities Includes Several Nanoscale Materials; Comments Are Due December 4, 2024
On October 5, 2024, the Minister of the Environment announced in the Canada Gazette publication of a proposed plan of priorities for the assessment of chemical substances. Under the 2023 amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health are required to “develop, consult on and publish a plan with timelines” by June 2025. The proposed list of prioritized substances for assessment and the rationales for priorities...
August 20, 2024
Canada Begins 60-Day Comment Period on Computational Tool for Chemical Screening and Prioritization
As part of its implementation of the modernized Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), on August 17, 2024, Health Canada published a Canada Gazette notice announcing the availability of its Science Approach Document -- Chemical Screening and Prioritization: Health Canada's Automated Workflow for Prioritization (HAWPr). The science approach document (SciAD) describes the scientific approach that Canada applied to more than 25,000 chemicals on the Domestic Substances List (DSL) to...
September 18, 2023
Canada Will Hold Information Sessions in October 2023 on Right to a Healthy Environment Amendments to CEPA
As reported in our June 23, 2023, memorandum, on June 13, 2023, Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, became law. The bill made a number of changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), including recognizing that every individual in Canada has a right to a healthy environment as provided under CEPA. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada (HC) will hold information sessions in October 2023 for those interested in...
According to a May 6, 2023, Canada Gazette notice, the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), intends to unmask the identities of 132 substances currently on Part 3 of the Domestic Substances List (DSL) in accordance with the Approach to disclose confidential information and promote transparency in chemicals. The annexed proposed Order includes the masked names and confidential accession numbers of the substances proposed for...
June 21, 2022
Canada Publishes Draft Framework for the Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials under CEPA
On June 17, 2022, Canada published its draft Framework for the Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) for a 60-day public comment period. The plain language summary states that the framework describes how scientists at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada (HC) conduct risk assessments on nanomaterials. The draft risk assessment framework outlines approaches and considerations for...