Date Published: 29 May 2009

Government of Canada Reaches Important Milestone with Chemicals Management Plan

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada's Environment Minister, today announced the release of the draft screening assessments and risk management scope documents for 18 substances assessed in Batch 6 of the Chemicals Management Plan. The Government has reached the halfway point in its commitment to assess approximately 200 high-priority substances as part of the Chemicals Management Plan.

"To date we have assessed 106 high-priority substances under our world-leading Chemicals Management Plan," said Minister Aglukkaq. "With the release of the draft risk assessments for Batch 6, we have assessments for over half of the substances we identified as high priorities for action, and have reached an important milestone."

"We are working hard to ensure that chemicals that may pose risks to human health and the environment are managed safely," said Minister Prentice. "We will continue to gather information and explore risk management activities to control these substances."

Of the 18 substances assessed in Batch 6, one substance is proposed to pose a risk to human health (benzyl chloride) and one may pose a risk to the environment (DHNUP).

Benzyl chloride is an industrial chemical found at very low levels in pesticides, household and personal care products, disinfectants and industrial cleaners. It is also used in the production of benzyl alcohol. DHNUP belongs to a family of chemicals called phthalates commonly used in the making of plastics. The primary use of DHNUP is as a plasticizer for electrical and communication wire insulation.

Current information indicates that the remaining 16 substances do not pose a risk to human health or the environment.

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