With its new report from Environment Canada and Health Canada on “forever chemicals,” which are deemed harmful to humans and the environment, the federal government has launched a 60-day public comment period, ending July 19, and indicated it will consider imposing regulations or other controls to limit people’s exposure to these substances and products that contain them.
“Only diamonds should be forever – not human-made substances that are polluting our environment,” said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Twitter on May 19, when the report was released. “We are taking a precautionary approach to better manage the whole class of forever chemicals.”
These chemicals, which are found in everyday products such as food packaging, cosmetics, and clothing and have a practically unbreakable compound, created when the elements carbon and fluorine are fused, are considered “forever” because they’re difficult if not impossible to remove….