Canada Begins Review of SNAc Orders and Notices for Nanomaterials

On January 28, 2015, Environment Canada announced that, with Health Canada, it has initiated a review of significant new activity (SNAc) orders and notices currently in place under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).  According to Environment Canada, since publication of the first SNAc in 2001, policies and practices have evolved, particularly with respect to the nature and scope of SNAcs, as well as the wording used to identify “significant new activities.”  The SNAc review is intended to ensure that SNAcs are in step with current information, policies, and approaches.  The SNAc review groups include 33 SNAcs for nanomaterials, published between 2008 and 2013.  The review timeline for the nanomaterials group is 2014-2015.  Environment Canada states that, following the review process, there may be no changes needed for certain SNAcs or, for others, rescissions or amendments may be warranted.  As the review will be implemented via a phased approach, Canada will publish information on the results of the review process on an ongoing basis as elements of the review are completed.  Elements of the review may be subject to external consultation.