Contaminated Sites

OVERVIEW
LEGISLATION/POLICIES
CONTAMINATED SITES
REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES
PUBLICATIONS

OVERVIEW

Land holdings of the Government of Canada account for approximately 40% of the total land mass of the country. Contamination of specific sites occurred largely during the last war and during the post war period, although urban industrial areas, historical railway developments, old ports and reclaimed land provide examples of contamination dating back to the last century. Contamination has occurred at government laboratories, military bases, harbors and ports (including contaminated harbor sediment), airports, training facilities and reserve lands, to name a few.

There are approximately 250 federal sites in the Atlantic Region at some stage of assessment, remediation or decommissioning.

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LEGISLATION/POLICIES

Environment Canada is mandated to provide environmental guidance to federal agencies on contaminated site assessment, remediation and decommissioning activities. This mandate is set out in:

• The Government Organization Act
• Fisheries Act

Governing Policies:

• Treasury Board Guidelines on Real Property Management
• Environment Canada's Toxic Substances Management Policy
• CEPA Review
• 1995 and 1996 Auditor General's Reports

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CONTAMINATED SITES

Environment Canada is involved with assessment/remediation projects at contaminated sites owned by Canada Lands Corporation, Transport Canada, Ports Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Agriculture Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, RCMP, and Enterprise Cape Breton.

A number of the contaminated sites in Atlantic Canada are large, high profile projects. These include:

• United States Naval Facility, Argentia, NF

There are approximately 60 localized sites on the Argentia base contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, localized PCBs and heavy metals. Leachate containing PCBs and other contaminants has been identified entering Placentia Bay from one landfill.

Public Works and Government Services Canada, as project managers, have developed a 10 year remedial action plan for the site committing an expenditure of $81 million.

• Former Mt. Harmon US Airforce Base, Stephenville, NF

This former base is presently undergoing a site assessment by one of its current tenants, Environment Canada. Site assessments have also been conducted by Transport Canada and the Newfoundland Labrador Department of Housing.

Contaminants

Contamination at most of the sites in Atlantic Canada is associated with:

• all forms of petroleum product waste
• trace metals
• building demolition and associated debris
• fire training
• downsizing activities
• active and inactive solid and hazardous waste disposal sites
• liquid industrial waste

Major pollutants at the sites include:

• Petroleum hydrocarbons
• PCBs
• Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Solvents
• Metals

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REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES

Some of the soil remediation technologies that have been used in the remediation of contaminated sites in the Atlantic Region include:

• bioremediation
• air sparging
• soil washing
• low temperature thermal desorption
• vapour extraction
• air stripping

For more information on Site Remediation in Atlantic Region, please contact Anne Marie Drake at (902)426-9064, or annemarie.drake@ec.gc.ca

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PUBLICATIONS

Copies of the following reports are available by contacting:

Environment Canada
Hazardous Waste Branch
351 St. Joseph Blvd
Hull, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Phone:  (819)953-0458

• Site Remediation Technologies:  A Reference Manual (bilingual)
• (Les technologies d'assainissement des lieux contaminées: Un manuel de référence)
• Preventing Site Contamination at Federal Facilities:  A Guidance Manual (bilingual)
• (Guide de prévention de la contamination des lieux aux installations fédérales)

Copies of the following report and other publications from the National Round Table Backgrounder Series are available to order by contacting:

Renouf Publishing Co. Ltd.
5369 Canotek Road, Unit 1
Ottawa, Ontario
Phone:  (613)745-2665

• Backgrounder Removing Barriers:  Redeveloping Contaminated Sites for Housing (bilingual)
• (Rapport de synthèse Élimination des obstacles au réaménagement des terrains contaminés à des fins résidentielle)

Copies of the following publications are available to order from The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME).  For further information and prices visit the CCME home page or contact:

CCME Documents
c/o Manitoba Statutory Publications
200 Vaughn Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 1T5

• Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines for Copper:  Environmental and Human Health
• Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines for Pentachlorophenol:  Environmental and Human Health
• Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products
• Environmental Code of Practice for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products
• A Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment:  General Guidance
• A Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment:  Technical Appendices (bilingual)
• Guidance Document on the Management of Contaminated Sites in Canada
• Guidance Manual for Developing Site-specific Soil Quality Remediation Objectives for Contaminated Sites in Canada
• Guidance Manual on Sampling, Analysis, and Data Management for Contaminated Sites
• National Classification System for Contaminated Sites (bilingual)
• A Protocol for the Derivation of Environmental and Human Health Soil Quality Guidelines
• Recommended Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines
• Subsurface Assessment Handbook for Contaminated Sites
• Contaminated Site Liability Report - Recommended Principles for a Consistent Approach Across Canada
• Dioxins and Furans:  The Canadian Perspective
• Interim Canadian Environmental Quality Criteria for Contaminated Sites (bilingual)

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