Proposed PFAS Listing Order (Canada Gazette, Pt. 1, Vol. 159, No. 10, March 8, 2025)

A joint statement from five Canadian environmental and health organizations—including Ecojustice and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment—urging the Canadian government to expedite the listing and regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The organizations argue that current regulatory criteria underestimate PFAS bioaccumulation and call for the inclusion of fluoropolymers, as well as an accelerated timeline for phasing out PFAS in firefighting foams and consumer products.

• The authors urge the government to finalize the order listing PFAS (excluding fluoropolymers) as a class under Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) by Fall 2025.
• The statement argues that the current regulatory paradigm for persistence and bioaccumulation is outdated and systematically underestimates the bioaccumulative potential of PFAS because it relies on lipid testing of freshwater aquatic species, whereas PFAS often bind to proteins and bioaccumulate more in air-breathing organisms.
• The organizations recommend that the government expedite the assessment and regulation of fluoropolymers, moving the start date from Fall 2026 to Fall 2025, asserting that there is no scientific rationale for treating them as low concern.
• The authors call for an accelerated phase-out of C6 Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF), proposing a timeline that includes consultation in Summer/Fall 2025 and a final instrument by Fall 2026, citing the high cancer risk and PFAS exposure faced by firefighters.
• The statement advocates for an expedited phase-out of PFAS in consumer applications (Phase 2 of the Risk Management Approach), such as cosmetics and textiles, to align with market trends and legislation in other jurisdictions like France and the United States.
• The authors recommend that the regulatory and phase-out processes for commercial and industrial applications of PFAS (Phase 3) be conducted concurrently with Phase 2, rather than sequentially, as feasible market alternatives already exist for many applications.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2025). Proposed PFAS Listing Order (Canada Gazette, Pt. 1, Vol. 159, No. 10, March 8, 2025). https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Comments-re-Proposed-PFAS-Order-CAPE-May-2025.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Proposed PFAS Listing Order (Canada Gazette, Pt. 1, Vol. 159, No. 10, March 8, 2025). 2025. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Comments-re-Proposed-PFAS-Order-CAPE-May-2025.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Proposed PFAS Listing Order (Canada Gazette, Pt. 1, Vol. 159, No. 10, March 8, 2025) |date=6 May 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Comments-re-Proposed-PFAS-Order-CAPE-May-2025.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2025proposed, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Proposed PFAS Listing Order (Canada Gazette, Pt. 1, Vol. 159, No. 10, March 8, 2025)}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Comments-re-Proposed-PFAS-Order-CAPE-May-2025.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }