20 June 2008

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and its Salts and Certain Other Compounds

The proposed Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and its Salts and Certain Other Compounds Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the proposed Regulations) are to be made under subsection 93(1) and section 319 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to prevent the risks posed to Canada's environment from the use and release of perfluorooctane sulfonate, its salts and certain other compounds that contain the CF17SO2, C8F17SO3 or C8F17SO2N group (referred to hereinafter as PFOS) by those that either use the substance as such or use certain products containing the substance (referred to hereinafter as "user" or "users"). The proposed Regulations would prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of PFOS, as well as manufactured items containing PFOS, other than a limited number of exemptions outlined in the proposed Regulations.

Information concerning the use of PFOS are available on the Canada Gazette web site, at:

http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2006/20061216/html/regle2-e.html