Statement by Cassie Barker, Senior Program Manager, Toxics
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – We welcome the federal government’s decision to close regulatory loopholes on some toxic PFAS and flame retardants, and phase certain toxic substances out of everyday products. This action will directly benefit the health of people living in Canada, and is a step toward a less toxic future.
We encourage the government to build on today’s announcement and expedite regulations for the entire class of PFAS, so that the thousands of unregulated “forever chemicals”—in the marketplace, in our drinking water, and our products that we use every day—are banned.
We also encourage industry, product manufacturers and retailers to start now and ensure their products and processes are free from PFAS. Industry has known for decades that “forever chemicals” harm people and communities, but hid these harms from regulators and prioritized their profits over our health.
The longer we wait to act on PFAS and other dangerous chemicals in products, the bigger this toxic legacy becomes.
Background:
- These regulations will address PFAS coatings on our winter gear that can result in direct exposures to highly harmful PFOA-forming chemicals. We highlighted the issue of PFOA-forming coatings on children’s gloves in Canada in 2024.
- PFAS has been found in over 200 product categories, including clothing, diapers, period products and furniture. Alongside Indigenous health advocates, firefighters, and environmental health organizations, Environmental Defence has been pushing to phase out the class of PFAS “forever chemicals,” and have been lifting up the risks to its continued use.
- Health Canada found that 98.5 per cent of people in Canada already have PFAS in our blood—substances with known ties to thyroid disease, asthma and an array of cancers.
- Babies and children are regularly exposed to PFAS in utero, and then through diapers, clothing and toys. Exposure to these chemicals during these critical developmental stages can have devastating and lifelong health impacts.
- Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by PFAS, particularly Northern Indigenous people whose wild foods are highly contaminated, due to long-range transport of these chemicals via atmospheric and ocean currents.
- Low-income and racialized communities’ drinking water is disproportionately contaminated with PFAS due to their proximity to landfills, military bases and airports.
- Firefighters are disproportionately exposed to PFAS due to their presence in firefighting foams and gear. More firefighters die from PFAS exposure than they do from fighting actual fires.
- More and more brands are committing to becoming PFAS-free, but federal regulation is the best way to ensure a swift and comprehensive phase-out.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Mira Merchant, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
