No Further Action on 34 Inorganic Substances

Summary#

• The federal government published three related notices from the environment and health departments.
• It proposes no further action now on 34 inorganic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, issued final guidance on monitoring biological stability in drinking-water systems, and repealed Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Clinical Trials for Medical Devices and Drugs Relating to COVID-19 while putting permanent clinical-trial rules in place.

What it does#

• Environment screening assessment

  • Announces a draft screening assessment that finds 34 substances unlikely to cause ecological or human-health harm at current exposure levels.
  • Proposes to take no further action on those substances for now under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
  • Opens a public comment window of 60 days after publication for anyone to submit written scientific comments.

• Drinking-water guidance (final)

  • Publishes the final “Guidance on Monitoring the Biological Stability of Drinking Water in Distribution Systems” for water system operators and regulators.
  • Replaces Health Canada’s earlier guidance on the use of heterotrophic plate counts (2012). The document was updated after a 90-day public consultation in 2020.

• Clinical trials interim order repealed

  • The Minister of Health issued an Order Repealing Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Clinical Trials for Medical Devices and Drugs Relating to COVID-19 (made February 14, 2022).
  • That repeal lets the new Clinical Trials for Medical Devices and Drugs Relating to COVID-19 Regulations take effect and continue a flexible pathway for COVID‑19 device and drug trials that had been allowed under the interim order.

• Confidential-business claims filed (HMIRA)

  • Health Canada lists several suppliers and employers that filed claims to keep some chemical identity or concentrations confidential under the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA). Companies named include, for example, INEOS GAS/SPEC Technology Group, Solvay USA Inc., and Henkel Canada Corporation.

Who's affected#

• Chemical manufacturers, importers and companies that use the assessed substances (industries such as paints, batteries, water treatment, lubricants, adhesives, etc.).
• Municipal and private drinking-water system operators and water-quality managers who monitor distribution-system biological stability.
• Sponsors and researchers running COVID‑19 clinical trials for medical devices and drugs, who now operate under the new regulations instead of the interim order.
• Suppliers and employers listed in the HMIRA filings, and their workers or customers who rely on safety data sheets (SDS) and labeling for hazard and safe-use information.
• Members of the public and health or environmental scientists who may want to comment during the 60‑day consultation.

Why it matters#

• For the public: the government is saying these 34 substances are low concern based on available evidence, so there will be no immediate federal controls — but the assessment and the 60‑day comment period let people see the science and raise concerns if they have new data.
• For water consumers: the new Health Canada guidance aims to help drinking-water systems detect and prevent water-quality deterioration in pipes and storage, which can reduce the risk of illness linked to distribution-system problems.
• For researchers and companies: replacing an interim order with formal regulations gives a clearer, long-term framework for running COVID‑19-related clinical trials in Canada.
• For workers and employers: HMIRA claims for confidentiality can limit what chemical information appears on SDSs and labels, which affects workplace information and safety planning — affected parties may want to review those specific filings.

If you want links or guidance on how to comment on the screening assessment or where to download the full documents, say which item you’re interested in and I’ll point you to the right page.