Feds to designate bisphenol A as toxic by November

OTTAWA — After a lengthy delay, the federal government on Tuesday said it is close to making good on its two-year old promise to designate bisphenol A as toxic under Canadian law.

The Conservatives made a big splash in April 2008 when two senior cabinet ministers hosted a news conference to announce Canada would become the first country in the world to ban plastic bottles after concluding the estrogen-mimicking chemical was toxic. The first step was to place BPA on the list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

The ban went ahead, but the toxic designation has yet to happen. Environment Canada now says it will be a done deal within eight to 10 weeks — more than a year after considering a formal notice of objection filed by the American Chemistry Council.

The group, which maintains BPA is safe, filed the objection on July 15, 2009, asking the government to set up a board of review to reconsider the toxic designation.

Newly released correspondence to the council from Environment Minister Jim Prentice, dated July 27, 2010, says Ottawa has considered the request, but rejected it on the grounds that it "does not bring forth any new scientific data or information with respect to the nature and extent of the danger posed by bisphenol A."

Environmental Defence executive director Rick Smith, who led the lobby campaign for the toxic designation, called the move "important progress. Kudos to the federal government for moving this file forward and shame on the industry for its endless stalling tactics. We look forward to seeing BPA legally designated as 'toxic' as soon as possible."

Bisphenol A can leach into food from the protective epoxy resin coatings of canned foods or beverages and from such consumer products as polycarbonate tableware, plastic food storage containers and reusable hard plastic bottles.

Reproductive toxicity — including effects on fertility and development — has been identified as a key health effect of exposure to high concentrations of BPA, a recognized endocrine disrupter.

Since Ottawa's ban on baby bottles containing BPA, several U.S. states have followed Canada's lead. The U.S. government's national toxicology program, meanwhile, concluded earlier this year that it has "some concern for effects on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A."