M-119 Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances

That:

(a) the House recognize that,

(i) the government’s 2023 draft State of PFAS Report assessed the Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) as a class, as permitted under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), and the entire class was found to be toxic,

(ii) PFAS are widely used in industrial applications and commercial products leading to environmental contamination of PFAS in Canadian soils, air, freshwater, drinking water, fish, and other consumable foods,

(iii) PFAS threaten health, biodiversity and Indigenous rights,

(iv) firefighters face significant exposure to PFAS from turnout gear and firefighting foam leading to higher rates of cancer among firefighters,

(v) firefighting unions have called for a government response to quickly regulate PFAS and address the unnecessary risk to firefighters and the communities they serve,

(vi) the federal government’s current plan for regulatory action on this class of chemicals only targets PFAS-laden firefighting foams, ignoring more insidious sources of PFAS lurking in fire fighters’ turnout gear, as well as everyday consumer products,

(vii) tackling the PFAS contamination problem requires a class-based approach and comprehensive regulatory action, given that as one PFAS is regulated, it is often substituted with another harmful PFAS chemical in the same class,

(viii) safer substitutions exist, PFAS-free products are available, and the markets and leading brands are moving away from PFAS in products; and

(b) in the opinion of the House, the government should:

(i) ensure all PFAS are included in the class and regulated under the CEPA,

(ii) combat industry misinformation about PFAS that seek to undermine efforts to regulate PFAS,

(iii) fast-track the process to list the PFAS class on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the CEPA,

(iv) ensure that PFAS are phased out of firefighting turnout gear as quickly as possible,

(v) align with the European Union and US states, and establish a timeline for phasing out PFAS in products, using the European Union’s roadmap for phasing out PFAS as a guide,

(vi) address microplastics and microfibre freshwater contamination, as they increase the levels of PFAS exposure in freshwater sources,

(vii) protect the right of every individual in Canada to a healthy environment,

(viii) explore legal action to secure resources and compensation for drinking water and ecosystem cleanup, and exposure-related health care costs, especially when vulnerable populations are affected.