The federal Toxic Substances Management Policy puts forward a preventive and precautionary approach to deal with substances that enter the environment and could harm the environment or human health. The policy is the result of consultations with stakeholders, held from September 1994 to April 1995, after the release of the federal government discussion paper Towards a Toxic Substances Management Policy for Canada and the companion document Criteria for the Selection of Substances for Virtual Elimination.

The policy provides decision makers with direction and sets out a science- based management framework to ensure that federal programs are consistent with its objectives. It also serves as the centrepiece of the federal government's position on the management of toxic substances in discussions with the provinces and territories and negotiations with the world community.

The key management objectives are:

• virtual elimination from the environment of toxic substances that result predominantly from human activity and that are persistent and bioaccumulative (referred to in the policy as Track 1 substances); and
• management of other toxic substances and substances of concern, throughout their entire life cycles, to prevent or minimize their release into the environment (referred to in the policy as Track 2 substances).

Management of both Track 1 and Track 2 substances will address, as appropriate, entry into the environment from both domestic and foreign sources, as well as remediation of areas already contaminated by a substance. Virtual elimination from the environment of Track 1 substances will be based on strategies to prevent the measurable release of the substances into the environment. In cases where no measurable release limits cannot be satisfied, generation or use of a substance will not be acceptable.

While socio-economic factors have no bearing in setting the ultimate objective for Track 1 substances (virtual elimination from the environment), such factors will be taken into account when determining interim targets, appropriate management strategies and time lines for implementation. Socio-economic factors will be considered when determining long-term environmental goals, targets, strategies and time lines for Track 2 substances.

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