Phase 3 of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP-3), which has just begun, will assess 1,500 substances over the next five years, 30 percent of which are used in the paint and coatings industry.
The biggest regulatory challenge for the paint and coatings industry in Canada over the past 10 years has been the federal government’s Chemicals Management Plan (CMP). It reviewed 43,000 substances at the outset, with 2,300 of these in the first two phases of the CMP being considered priorities for assessment in a further breakdown for those substances “of concern.” Phase 3 of the CMP (CMP-3), which has just begun, will assess 1,500 substances over the next five years, 30 percent of which are used in the paint and coatings industry.
CMP has been a constant churn of consultation and a massive exchange of information that at times is caught up in jargon, advocacy for or against a certain chemical substance by various nongovernmental organizations (NGO), extensive industry data collection efforts, industry-government meetings, formal and informal submissions, and more. While the subjects and risk assessment processes are indeed complex, the objective is straightforward. While well intentioned, many NGOs continue to argue for a hazard-based approach over the one used under the CMP, which is based on risk. They essentially contend that a toxic designation should be more prevalent than it has been to date, regardless of the veracity of the science, with more banned substances and stiffer regulations.