Document Released Under the Access to Information Act / Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur L’accés a Vinformation ‘fay, Follow-up: Meeting between HC/RSC on Safety Code 6 Expert Panel S532 Heather Van Dusen to: yon 2012-10-19 0308 PM “Ge: Tara Bower, James McNamee, Eric Larson Dear Dr. Fiynn, Thank you once again for coming to meet with us yesterday morning. We very much appreciated the ‘opportunity to discuss in more detail the next steps of the Expert Panel process., as well as other important considerations, ‘Attached is the revised Project Prospectus, with a few improvements having been made to the intellectual issues section (as mentioned yesterday morning). Our ist of suggested Panel Members is also attached. 2 a ‘S08 Prospectus for RSC Oct18-12,docRSC_SC6-- suggested panel members Oct-12.doc Finally, for your reference, I've included below the names & contact info for each of us here working on the various aspects of the Safety Code 6 review. Tara and Eric are the main policy contacts for project management/contracting matters, while James would be your contact for issues relating more to technical/scientific matters. We look forward to speaking with you again soon about our next meeting. In the meantime, feel free to contact us with any questions. Thank you Heather. Tara Bower, Director Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate (ERHSD) tara.bower@he-sc.gc.ca (613) 957-6371 Eric Larson, Senior Policy Analyst Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination Environmental and Radiation Health Sclences Directorate (ERHSD) cric.larson@he-sc.gc.ca (613) 948-3665 James McNamee , Division Chief/Research Scientist, Health Effects and Assessments Division Consumer and Ciinical Radiation Protection Bureau, ERHSD James.mcnamee@he-sc.gc.ca| (613) 954-7804 eather Van Dusen Senior Policy Analyst | Analyste principale des politiques Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination | Bureau des politiques scientifiques, de la liaison et de la coordination ERHSD, HECSB | DSSER, DGSESC Health Canada | Santé Canada tel: 613-946-0354 fax: 613-952-5397 heather.vandusen@hc-sc.go.ca oo08t0Document Released Under the Access fo Information Act / Document divuigué en vertu de la Loi sur L'accés a information 8.24(4)(a) $24 re Royal Society of Canada (On 05/10/2012 3:12 PM, Heather Van Dusen wrote: Dear Dr. Flynn, ‘As you may be aware, Health Canada is currently in the process of reviewing Safety Code 6 - the radiofrequency exposure limit guideline developed by the Department. As part of this review, we have committed to having an independent expert review of the Code undertaken, and an Expert Panel of the Royal Society of Canada has been identified as the preferred means of achieving this. We understand that there is a process in place within RSC for obtaining approvals of expert ppaneisitopics. Attached for your consideration are a draft Project Prospectus ("Form 1", template taken from "Manual of Procedural Guidelines” on RSC website) and a draft version of Safely Code 6 2013, i =. While we are currently in the process of finalizing our documents, we trust the drafts willbe useful for beginning the required processes within RSC at this time, We also have some specific questions about the Expert Panel process. First, prior to the publication of an Expert Pane''s final report is there an opportunity for a sponsor to reviewiconsider the content of the report before itis posted publicly? Also, are documents being reviewed by Expert Panel members treated as confidential - e., they aren't shared beyond the panel membership? (I imagine details such as these would likely be formalized as part of a contract between Health Canada and RSC.) Please feel free to contact me by phone or email to discuss further. My contact details are below. ‘Thank you for your time and consideration, Sincerely, Heather Van Dusen Senior Policy Analyst | Analyste principale des politiques. Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination | Bureau des politiques scientifiques, de la liaison et ce la coordination ERHSD, HECSB | DSSER, OGSESC Health Canada | Santé Canada tel: 613-946-0354 fax: 613-952-5397 heather. vandusen@he-se,ge.ca 000728.19(1) s.24(t)(a) s.21(1)(b) 8.21(1)(c) Document Released Under the Access to Information Act / Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur L’accés @ linformation ‘Suggested 8 members: (3-4 engineers, 2-3 biologists, 1 MD, | epi)Document Released Under the Access to information Act | Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur Laccés a l'information 8.24(1a aztttNe) FOR INFORMATION 8.24(1)(c) MEMORANDUM TO THE MINISTER OF HEALTH Status of Review of Safety Code 6 and Update on Health Canada’s Implementation of ‘Standing Committee on Health Report's Recommendations (2010) SUMMARY + Work is currently underway at Health Canada to review Safety Code 6, which is the radiofrequency (RF) exposure guideline published by the Department. It sets recommended limits for safe human exposure to electromagnetic energy from various devices including cell phones, Wi-Fi equipment and cell phone towers * The review of Safety Code 6 will include an independent assessment by an Expert Panel of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Results of the Expert Panel process will be made public. + Health Canada continues to act on most of the recommendations directed to the Department in the December 2010 Report of the House of Commons Standing ‘Committee on Health (HESA), entitled: “An Examination of the Potential Health Impacts of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation”. BACKGROUND: The Standing Committee on Health (HESA) conducted a study in 2010 examining the issue of potential health impacts of RF electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, including cell phones. On December 2, 2010, the Committee released its report including five recommendations for action by Health Canada (HC). The Committee’s 000043Document Released Under the Access fo Information Act | Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur L’accés a information dd recommendations were focussed around three main themes: the need for ongoing science and research, enhancing public education and awareness, and creating a process to receive and respond to reports of adverse health reactions. A Memo on the HESA report was provided for your information in June 2011 and provided the status of HC activities being carried out in support of the HESA report's recommendations (Appendix A). Parliament dissolved before the Government Response to the report could be tabled; the Department nonetheless began acting on many of the committee’s recommendations. HC publishes a radiofrequency (RF) exposure guideline, commonly referred to as Safety Code 6, which sets recommended limits for safe human exposure to electromagnetic energy as emitted from various devices including cell phones, Wi-Fi equipment and cell phone towers. The guideline, adopted by Industry Canada (IC) for the purpose of protecting the general public from RF over-exposure, is designed to prevent negative health consequences. No adverse health effects are expected from exposure to RF emitting devices if they adhere to HC’s Safety Code 6. A review of the code is scheduled to take place in 2012. On May 31, 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) / International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RF energy as being “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Class 2B). A Health Canada scientist was a member of the [ARC Expert Working Group that examined this issue. The IARC classification on RF energy is meant to reflect the fact that there is some (limited) evidence that exposure to RF energy might increase the risk of cancer. However, the vast majority of research to date does not_ support a link between RF energy exposure and human cancers. Health Canada is, agreement with both the WHO and IARC that additional research in this area is warranted. CURRENT STATUS: The Department continues to act on most of the Standing Committee on Health’s recommendations. With respect to the Committee’s recommendation on the need for ‘ongoing science and research, HC continues to fund its own studies on health impacts of electromagnetic radiation and evaluation of exposure frequencies. HC supports the Canadian arm of MOBI-KIDS, an international study assessing the potential associations between the use of communication devices, including cell phones, and other environmental risk factors and brain tumours in young people. In particular, the Department provides support by facilitating coordination of the study, including the organization of and financial support for international meetings, and supporting discussions on research outcomes. 000044Document Released Under the Access to Information Act / Document divulgué en vertu 8.24(1){a) de la Loi sur L’acces 4 l'information 8.21(1)(c) AB In response to the recommendation that an independent assessment of the scientific literature be carried out, the Department has committed to establishing a formalized Expert Panel process for the regular review of Safety Code 6 to help ensure that the ongoing review of studies relating to the safety of RF energy on human health results in ‘updates to the code as required. The Department is also committed to publicly communicating the results of this process. The appointment of a Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Expert Panel has been selected as the means for obtaining independent expert assessment of the review of Safety Code 6. it will be submitted to the RSC to begin the Expert Panel process. It is anticipated that the Expert Panel report, with recommendations, would be released by RSC in early 2013. With respect to the HESA recommendation on enhancing public education and awareness, the Department continues to maintain a web-based risk awareness program for exposure to RF energy which includes, among other components, the “It’s Your Health” series of publications. The publications address issues such as the Safety of Cell Phones and Cell Phone Towers, Electric and Magnetic Fields at Extremely Low Frequencies, and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, as well as the recently-added topics of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Equipment and Smart Meters. Additionally, a video providing information to the public about the safety of Wi-Fi equipment is posted on both HC’s and IC’s websites; a video providing information on the safety of cell phones was also added recently to HC’s website. Opportunities will be explored with IC to strengthen the existing format of communications into a comprehensive awareness program that would be presented to interested groups, and, as appropriate, as part of the public consultations on specific cell phone towers. With respect to the recommendation to create a process to receive and respond to reports of adverse reactions to electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, as there is no convincing scientific evidence linking symptoms to EMF exposure, the feasibility and utility of an adverse reaction reporting system is limited. While HC does not support the recommendation to establish an adverse reaction reporting process specifically for RF exposures, consumer complaints concerning products such as cell phones may be directed to the Department using the web-based system that has been developed under the new Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). The system will also be used to identify hazards that can then be addressed by appropriate experts within HC and/or IC. 000045Document Released Under the Access to Information Act | Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur L'accés a information 8.24(1){a) 8.21(1)(b) wd 8.24(4)(6) CONSIDERATIONS: PORTFOLIO CONSIDERATIONS: ‘The CIHR is currently funding several research projects with the aim of investigating the effects of low frequency electromagnetic fields, including the MOBI-KIDS long-term study. HC will continue to support strengthened information-sharing on RF electromagnetic radiation issues between the levels of government and provincial and local health authorities, including through the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network (PHN), which includes the Council of the Chief Medical Officers of Health. NEXT STEPS: A contract with RSC will be finalized | It is anticipated that the document will be submitted to the RSC by end of ‘Summer 2012 to begin the Expert Panel process. Once membership appointments are finalized by RSC, the first meeting of the Expert Panel is likely to take place in Fall 2012. ooo04sDocument Released Under the Access fo Information Act ! Document divulgué en vertu de a Loi sur L'aceés a information dS Deputy Minister MECS # Branch Head: Hilary Geller, ADM, HECSB Telephone: 613-946-6701 ATTACHMENT(S) PROVIDED ELSEWHERE Attachment: Appendix A - Memorandum to the Minster of Health - Standing Committee on Health Report: “An Examination of the Potential Health Impacts of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation” (June 2011; MECS # 11-111583-941) Document created on: March 21, 2012 000047s.21(1)(a) s.21(1)(b) 8.21(1)(c) Document Released Under the Access to Information Act / Document divulgué en vertu de la Loi sur L'accés a l'information