Hundreds of Canadian scientists and doctors are calling on the federal government to take a tougher stand on dangerous chemicals used in consumer products.

Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a plan to spend $300 million over four years to make Canada a world leader in the testing and regulation of chemicals.

'We're years behind the European Union. In fact, we're years behind some American states.' -Gideon Forman, of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

But scientists have said they're concerned that the plan does not commit the federal government to act and thus may not protect consumers.

On Monday, 700 environmental scientists added their voices to the debate, signing a letter asking the federal government to strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The act is currently under review by committees in the House and Senate.

The plan introduced by Harper's government would focus at first on the 200 chemicals deemed to be potentially most dangerous.

Gideon Forman, of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said there is enough scientific evidence on the harmful health effects of many chemicals — such as flame retardants used on mattresses and plastic softeners in children's toys — to act now.

"Other jurisdictions have done a lot of research," said Forman. "We're playing catch-up to the European Union. We're years behind the European Union. In fact, we're years behind some American states."

Plan doesn't commit Ottawa to act: critics

The Environment Ministry has put the plastic softeners, known as PBDEs, on a list of five toxic substances targeted for immediate action. A ban could be approved by cabinet within six months, according to a senior bureaucrat.

Forman noted that, under the federal plan, the government could choose to ban PBDEs or do nothing. He said there was nothing in the plan that commits Ottawa to doing anything except an assessment.

The letter from the scientists calls on the federal government to protect ecosystems such as the Great Lakes. Chemicals such as flame retardants and pharmaceuticals have been detected in the water.

Industry doesn't have to prove chemicals are safe

The letter also urges Ottawa to make industry prove chemicals are safe before they're used in consumer goods, rather than keep the current system, which requires governments to first prove there's a problem.

When the Environmental Protection Act was last reviewed in 1999, industry lobbyists succeeded in getting it watered down, said David Schindler, a professor of ecology at the University of Alberta.

'We have a lot of laws that have too much ministerial discretion.'-David Schindler, ecology professor

"We have a lot of laws that have too much ministerial discretion," said Schindler. "They're written that 'If x happens, the minister may' rather than 'the minister must take' a particular action."

Consumers are advised to read as much as possible about potentially dangerous chemicals and to keep a close eye on what politicians do with Canada's environmental laws, he added.

In Ottawa, Diane Peters, a mother, said she considers herself environmentally conscious, but is confused by the lack of information about what chemicals in consumer products may be linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders.

As she looks through non-stick frying pans in her kitchen cupboard, which some scientists consider potentially hazardous, Peters said so far she is trying to avoid toxic chemicals by not smoking.

With files from the Canadian Press