Under CEPA, what is the difference between harm to the environment, and harm to human health?
Road salts are not dangerous to humans. The principal problem for humans is the effect they have on the taste of contaminated waters. The assessment was restricted to environmental impacts. Organisms in the environment have different susceptibility to different substances, including salts. Exposure of these organisms to levels well below what may be considered safe for humans may result in direct or indirect harmful effects. As a result, a substance which is not considered harmful to human health as defined by the new Canadian Environmental Protection Act, can be determined to be harmful to the environment.
