Information received in response to notices published in the Canada Gazette under section 71 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999). These notices target chemical substances of interest under the Chemicals Management Plan.

Information received in response to the data gathering initiative on certain organic flame retardants (2013)

Information received in response to the notice with respect to certain aromatic amines and aromatic azo and benzidine-based substances (2011).

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are a geographically widespread group of hydrocarbon chemicals, present in the environment as complex mixtures. During the past 25 years, levels of PACs in some northern ecosystems have been increasing, particularly in water, sediments, and lower trophic level organisms. However, relatively little information is publicly available to evaluate PACs in aquatic systems in the Sahtú Settlement Area. To help fill this knowledge gap, this project has two purposes: (i) to evaluate levels, composition, and potential biological impacts of PACs in water bodies in the Northwest Territories and (ii) to help make associated data more accessible to Indigenous communities, as well as to regulators who make decisions about water permits. Preliminary findings suggest that levels of PACs in the Mackenzie basin are elevated near areas of industrial development, but that the composition of PACs mixtures is relatively homogenous across a broad spatial scale. There is also some indication that particular PACs are elevated in areas with natural hydrocarbon seepage, but these investigations are ongoing. Next steps will include using existing data and sediment cores to evaluate how forest fires and snowpack levels affect PACs in water. Together, these findings will help inform future research and long-term monitoring needs for the Sahtú and the Mackenzie basin.

Information received in response to the data gathering initiative on Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanate and Diamine (MDI/MDA) and phenol, methyl- substances (2012).

This project aims to build community partnerships, identify field sites, and develop and implement sampling protocols for long term, community-based, monitoring of aquatic ecosystems near Fort Good Hope, NT. Together with partners, we are collecting data to evaluate environmental change. These data will help establish “baseline” conditions and will increase knowledge of the complex relationships between landscape-level environmental change and ecosystem characteristics - findings that will be critical for future research and long-term monitoring of aquatic ecosystem health in the Sahtú.

Information received in response to the data gathering initiative on certain selenium-containing substances (2013).

Findings from the human biomonitoring project (2015–2019), which included Fort Good Hope as a participating community, showed that lead levels in blood and urine were elevated in Sahtú residents compared to people from the Dehcho and the general Canadian population. To address community concerns and to understand how people living in the North might be exposed to lead, this research took place between 2020 and 2022. We started a community-based research program in Fort Good Hope to collect harvested birds and analyze birds, water, and fish for levels of lead.

As indicated in the Notice with respect to certain quaternary ammonium compounds in Canadian commerce — Phase 1 (the Notice), and in accordance with section 49 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the Government of Canada is providing a summary of the information received in response to the Notice, which was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on November 17, 2018 under section 46 of CEPA. The Notice collected information from manufacturers and importers (e.g., quantities and uses) on approximately 800 quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) for the 2017 calendar year. The information will be used to support priority setting, and inform future risk assessments. The files in the resources section below offer an overview of the information gathered under this initiative including: type of submission; reported substances; substances that are manufactured or imported; industrial sectors involved; substance functions and commercial applications; and intended use (in commercial activity, in consumer activity, and by children). It should be noted that these documents do not include an assessment of the potential risks these substances may pose to the environment or to the health of Canadians. To complement the information summary document, a compilation of the non-confidential information received is available for download in Excel and CSV formats and includes a list of the substances for which no information was submitted. Important information about this summary: To protect confidential business information, in some cases quantitative data is presented in ranges and qualitative data is excluded. Qualitative data includes information that characterizes and categorizes information [e.g., company names, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, specified uses, Substance Function Codes, and Application Codes]. Since the dataset does not include confidential business information, the figures presented may be an underestimate. Code 999 "Other" was provided for a Substance Function Code or an Application Code, it indicates that the codes listed in the Notice did not apply and a description of the function or use was required. Please refer to the Notice or guidance document for further details on data collected. Supplemental Information Useful links: http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2018/2018-11-17/html/notice-avis-eng.html https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemical-substances/chemicals-management-plan/initiatives/transparency-risk-assessment-activities.html https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemical-substances/inventory-updates.html https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/pded/quats/Guidance-manual-QAC.pdf https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/pded/quats/20190312-QAC-s-46-substances-en-fr.xlsx

Information received in response to the data gathering initiative on certain substituted diphenylamine substances (2012).