Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act — Canada’s pollution and toxics law

This briefing note from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment argues that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999, is outdated and requires urgent modernization to address current environmental and health threats, specifically calling for the implementation of 87 recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in 2017.

• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999, has not undergone significant amendments for over twenty years, leaving it unable to address modern risks such as the climate emergency, global plastic pollution, and a respiratory illness pandemic.
• Exposure to toxic substances is linked to severe public health issues in Canada, including approximately 15,000 premature deaths annually from air pollution and 850,000 cases of childhood asthma. Specific chemicals like BPA and PFAS are found in 80% and 100% of Canadians' bodies, respectively, with Inuit pregnant women and children showing significantly higher levels of PFAS.
• Proposed modernization amendments for CEPA include the establishment of enforceable national standards for drinking water and air quality, the recognition of the human right to a healthy environment, and stricter controls on toxic substances. These controls would include banning carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors (such as PFAS, phthalates, and BPA), requiring mandatory labelling for products like cosmetics, and addressing the cumulative effects of chemicals.
• There is broad support for CEPA reform across different sectors, including from over 500 scientists, the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, and Responsible Distribution Canada. Additionally, a Gandalf Group poll indicates that nearly 80% of Canadians view strengthening protections from toxics as either "very important" (37%) or "somewhat important" (41%) regarding their federal election voting intentions.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2020). Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act — Canada’s pollution and toxics law. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Modernizing-CEPA-briefing-note-Nov-2020-updated.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act — Canada’s pollution and toxics law. 2020. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Modernizing-CEPA-briefing-note-Nov-2020-updated.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act — Canada’s pollution and toxics law |date=November 2020 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Modernizing-CEPA-briefing-note-Nov-2020-updated.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2020modernizing, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act — Canada’s pollution and toxics law}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Modernizing-CEPA-briefing-note-Nov-2020-updated.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }