The regulation of pesticides in Canada is carried out under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act and Regulations. Products which control, prevent, destroy, mitigate, attract or repel a pest are required to undergo a presale assessment for safety, merit and value. This review will determine whether a product, when used according to label directions, can be used both safely and will be effective for controlling pest(s). Four federal government departments, Health and Welfare Canada, Environment Canada and Agriculture Canada, Natural Resources Canada, are involved in making timely and acceptable regulatory decisions on wood preservation products. Presently wood preservative products represent approximately four percent of the active ingredients contained in registered pesticide products and are registered for use areas such as pressure treatment, sapstain control, millwork and remedial applications. Requests for registration of new products are subjected to a rigorous assessment of health effects (both acute and long term) as well as environmental impact. The number and nature of studies requested is largely dependent upon the manner of intended use. There are several ways in which pesticides are regulated. The first time a product is reviewed it could be registered for up to 5 years. At the end of each five year period, pesticide manufacturers will be asked to renew their license for another 5 years. Periodically, new information or concerns come to the attention of regulatory officials. Depending on the nature of this new information, it may be appropriate to conduct a special review of some aspect of a pesticide registration i.e. the effect of use on fresh water ecosystems. In other cases, it will be appropriate to do a complete reassessment or reevaluation of a pesticide because the nature of the possibility of a risk of harm to humans and the environment. Presently there are approximately 20 pesticide active ingredients (of the total 500) being reevaluated. The canadian reevaluation process has been organized into eight (8) steps: 1. Prioritization; 2. Conffrmation of Priority; 3. Announcement; 4. Identify and Assess Risk(s) and Value(s); 5. Discussion of Facts and Regulatory Options; 6. Consultation with Stakeholders; 7. Make Decision and Inform Interested Parties; 8. Implementation of Decision.

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