Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Marginal note:Research, investigation and evaluation

68 For the purpose of assessing whether a substance is toxic or is capable of becoming toxic, or for the purpose of assessing whether to control, or the manner in which to control, a substance, including a substance specified on the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1, either Minister may

• (a) collect or generate data and conduct investigations respecting any matter in relation to a substance, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

  • (i) whether short-term exposure to the substance causes significant effects,

  • (ii) the potential of organisms in the environment to be widely exposed to the substance,

  • (iii) whether organisms are exposed to the substance via multiple pathways,

  • (iv) the ability of the substance to cause a reduction in metabolic functions of an organism,

  • (v) the ability of the substance to cause delayed or latent effects over the lifetime of an organism,

  • (vi) the ability of the substance to cause reproductive or survival impairment of an organism,

  • (vii) whether exposure to the substance has the potential to contribute to population failure of a species,

  • (viii) the ability of the substance to cause transgenerational effects,

  • (ix) quantities, uses and disposal of the substance,

  • (x) the manner in which the substance is released into the environment,

  • (xi) the extent to which the substance can be dispersed and will persist in the environment,

  • (xii) the development and use of alternatives to the substance,

  • (xiii) methods of controlling the presence of the substance in the environment, and

  • (xiv) methods of reducing the quantity of the substance used or produced or the quantities or concentration of the substance released into the environment;

• (b) correlate and evaluate any data collected or generated under paragraph (a) and publish results of any investigations carried out under that paragraph; and

• (c) provide information and make recommendations respecting any matter in relation to a substance, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, measures to control the presence of the substance in the environment.