OTTAWA, Canada – The Government of Canada is proposing a new regulatory instrument to address releases of bisphenol A (BPA) through industrial effluent. The proposed new instrument comes days after the Government of Canada announced that BPA, a chemical that can be harmful to both human health and the environment, is being added to Schedule 1 of Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999).

“The Government of Canada is taking a comprehensive approach to managing risks associated with bisphenol A, and this latest step addresses industrial use of the chemical in Canada,” said Canada’s Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, “The proposed rules will require facilities to develop and implement plans to limit releases of BPA to the environment and to submit ongoing progress reports to the Government of Canada.”

The regulatory instrument is a Pollution Prevention Planning Notice that was published in the Canada Gazette Part 1 on October 16, 2010.

The Pollution Prevention Planning Notice is the latest in a series of government actions to manage the risks of BPA, including the prohibition on the advertising, importation and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing the substance and ongoing work with Canada’s provincial and municipal counterparts to address potential releases that could occur during the disposal or recycling of products.