Active Agreements

Environmental Performance Agreement Respecting Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids (PFCAs) and their Precursors in Perfluorinated Products Sold in Canada

Full text of Agreement (HTML) (PDF; 100 KB)

Purpose
Signatories (Period in Effect)
Targets
Results
Next Steps
Contact
Background
- Management of Toxic Substances: Longchain (C₉-C₂₀) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs), their salts and their precursors and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) its Salts and its precursors

Purpose

The Environmental Performance Agreement Respecting PFCAs and their Precursors in Perfluorinated Products (the Agreement) is a key component of a comprehensive risk management strategy for PFCAs. The purpose of the Agreement is to have participating companies:

1. Work towards the elimination of residual perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), residual long chain PFCAs and residual precursors in their perfluorochemical products sold in Canada, and
2. Collect and report information on their perfluorochemical products sold in Canada that contain PFOA, long chain PFCAs and precursors (residual and non-residual).

Signatories (Period in Effect)

The Agreement has been negotiated between Environment Canada, Health Canada and four companies from the perfluorinated products industry (Arkema Canada Inc., Asahi Glass Company Ltd., Clariant Canada Inc., and E.I. du Pont Canada Company). This is a five-year agreement that commenced on March 30, 2010, and expires on December 31, 2015.

Targets

As a result of the Agreement, participating companies voluntarily commit to:

• Reducing by 95% the product content levels of residual PFOA, long chain PFCAs and their precursors in their perfluorochemical products sold in Canada by December 31, 2010¹;
• Working towards eliminating the remaining 5% of these substances in the products by December 31, 2015²; and
• Reporting annually to Environment Canada information on the residual and non-residual (i.e., active ingredient) content of their perfluorochemical products sold in Canada.

^{1 2} For each participating company that sold Perfluorochemical Products in Canada in 2006 containing more than a combined total of 25 kg of residual PFOA, residual long chain PFCAs and residual Precursors

Results

The following results have been reported by companies participating in this agreement.

^{3 4} Use of weight % (50.5% and 27.9% for 2008 and 2009 respectively) can skew the performance data due to product mix variations and does not provide an accurate picture of the progress made toward the year-end 2010 goal of 95% reduction for DuPont fluorotelomer products.  Percent reduction in mass (63.8% and 70.6% for 2008 and 2009 respectively) is also provided here as it represents a more accurate picture of the progress made in the absolute reduction of precursors and PFCAs, versus the 2004 baseline, for products sold in Canada (E.I. du Pont Canada).

^{5 6} “Not Applicable” indicates that the data element did not apply to the specific company's operations in the area covered by the table. In this case, the participating company reported less than the reporting threshold of more than a combined total of 25 kg of residual PFOA, residual long chain PFCAs and residual Precursors.

Next Steps

• Implementation of the Agreement.
• Monitoring and reporting of information required under the Agreement.
• Public reporting of progress under the Agreement.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Risk Management Programs
Environment Canada
Fontaine Building, 2^nd Floor
200 Sacré Coeur Boulevard
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Canada
Email: GR-RM@ec.gc.ca

Background

PFCAs and their precursors are used as fluoropolymer processing aids; water and grease repellents for material such as paper, fabric, leather and carpets; sizing agents for packaging and paper products; and leveling agents in coatings.

In June 2006, Environment Canada and Health Canada published an Action Plan for the Assessment and Management of Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids andtheir Precursors in the Canada Gazette. The Action Plan states that the Government would seek action from industry to significantly reduce residual PFCA precursors that are present in certain substances already in Canadian commerce and that the Government would work with stakeholders to establish details for this action, including timelines and reduction targets.

The Agreement has been developed to meet this commitment. Environment Canada, Health Canada and four companies from the perfluorinated products industry have negotiated this agreement, in recognition of industry’s commitment to significantly reduce residual PFCAs and their precursors. Through the Agreement, industry is taking early action on long chain PFCAs, PFOA and their precursors before regulatory assessments for these substances are completed. Once completed, the assessments will guide any additional risk management actions that may be needed.

Public consultations on the draft Agreement took place between January 30, 2009, and March 31, 2009. No comments were received on the draft document during this consultation period. 

In October 2010, Environment Canada also published, in accordance with the Action Plan, the Draft Ecological Screening Assessment Report LongChain (C9-C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids, their Salts and their Precursors in addition to the Risk Management Scope for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), its Salts, and its Precursors and LongChain (C9-C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs), their Salts, and their Precursors