A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment call for the modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), arguing that the 1999 framework is inadequate for current climate and pollution crises. While acknowledging improvements in Bill S-5, the authors demand further amendments to prioritize the prohibition of toxic substances, recognize the right to a healthy environment, and address cumulative risks to human health.

• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) is considered outdated because it was last updated in 1999 and its five-year review schedule was not followed, making it inadequate for addressing modern social justice, environmental, and health threats.
• While Bill S-5 introduces improvements to CEPA, health professionals argue it requires further amendments to fully protect human health and the environment.
• To achieve a modernized act, the authors specify five necessary requirements: the recognition of the right to a healthy environment, the prioritization of prohibiting toxic substances, the assessment of cumulative risks, the implementation of timelines for assessments and safer substitutions, and the creation of a reverse onus on business confidentiality claims to enhance the right-to-know.

APA

Strus, J. A., & Vipond, J. (2022). A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/opinion-a-prescription-from-health-professionals-strengthen-canadas-toxics-law/

Chicago

Strus, Jacqueline Avanthay, and Joe Vipond. A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2022. https://cape.ca/opinion-a-prescription-from-health-professionals-strengthen-canadas-toxics-law/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Strus |first1=Jacqueline Avanthay |last2=Vipond |first2=Joe |title=A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=4 May 2022 |url=https://cape.ca/opinion-a-prescription-from-health-professionals-strengthen-canadas-toxics-law/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{strus2022prescription, author = {Strus, Jacqueline Avanthay and Vipond, Joe}, title = {{A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://cape.ca/opinion-a-prescription-from-health-professionals-strengthen-canadas-toxics-law/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }