OTTAWA - The federal government is set to announce Friday that it's officially designating a commonplace chemical as a dangerous substance.

Health Minister Tony Clement is to reveal that a draft report on bisphenol A found it endangers people and the environment.

The finding won't mean that BPA will be immediately banned or restricted.

Following Clement's announcement, the public will have 60 days to comment on the report. If no new information surfaces, the government will have a year to release a final report detailing control measures.

At that point, Clement could impose restrictions on the use of the chemical, which is found in many plastics. He could also move to list BPA as a toxic chemical under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, an advocacy group that has long lobbied to have BPA deemed a toxic agent, declined to speculate about Friday's announcement.

But he said the chemical is found in virtually every home.

"This is one of the most common synthetic chemicals in the world. It's found in every Canadian home, it touches the lives of every Canadian family,'' he said.

"The reason that it's significant is because of its hormone-disrupting properties and also because it's extremely commonplace.''

Several major Canadian retailers pulled products containing the chemical from store shelves after news leaked about the government's plans.

Sears Canada, Rexall Pharmacies, London Drugs and Home Depot Canada are the latest companies to stop selling products containing BPA.

They join the Forzani Group, Canada's largest sporting goods retailer, Hudson's Bay Co., which includes the Bay and Zellers stores, and Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. in ridding their stores of products laden with BPA.

Last year, Mountain Equipment Co-op removed plastic bottles containing BPA from its shelves. Lululemon Athletics Inc. has said all new water bottles arriving in its stores this year would be free of the chemical.

BPA acts like the hormone estrogen and can alter cell function. Chemical studies on animals have linked the product to cancer and infertility.