The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999; French: Loi canadienne sur la protection de l’environnement (1999)) is an Act of the Parliament of Canada, whose goal is to contribute to sustainable development through pollution prevention and to protect the environment, human life and health from the risks associated with toxic substances. It covers a diversity of activities that can affect human health and the environment, and acts to address any pollution issues not covered by other federal laws. As such, the Act is a "catch all" piece of legislation that ensures potentially toxic substances are not inadvertently exempt from federal oversight as a result of unforeseen legislative loopholes.
The Act also recognizes the contribution of pollution prevention and the management and control of toxic substances and hazardous waste to reducing threats to Canada's ecosystems and biological diversity.
It acknowledges, for the first time, the need to virtually eliminate the most persistent toxic substances that remain in the environment for extended periods of time before breaking down and bioaccumulative toxic substances that accumulate within living organisms.
Health Canada works in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada to assess potentially toxic substances and to develop regulations to control toxic substances.
Section 93 of the Act provides the authority to the federal government to make regulations to restrict and manage pollution in Canada.
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