Renewal of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan

A review of potential effects of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan – Phase IV.

The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) was established in 2005 and has worked towards reducing risks associated with human health and environmental protection through liability reducing activities. FCSAP takes a whole-of-government approach in which 19 government agencies, departments, and consolidated Crown corporations work together to assess, remediate and risk manage contaminated sites for which they are responsible.  Since FCSAP began 15 years ago, more than 16,800 contaminated sites have been closed based on the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory (FCSI) and the program has spent $4.7 billion on the assessment and remediation of those highest risk sites.  FCSAP projects have led to approximately 20,700 jobs.

The FCSAP program has been renewed with the announcement of Phase IV to occur from 2020 to 2024. With more than 6,800 contaminated sites still on the FCSI, Phase IV will include new elements to program management and coordination which will improve the efficiencies of site cleanups.

These changes will lead to:

• efficient site clean ups as a result of increased coordination and bundling projects together
• increased job training and opportunities in northern, remote, and Indigenous communities
• increased focus on remediating contaminated reserves and improve infrastructure on reserves
• decreased greenhouse gases (GHG) and other emissions associated with the contamination clean up
• innovative approaches to combat the effects of climate change
• addressed knowledge gaps surrounding the effects of emerging contaminants

FCSAP will contribute to the following goals set out in the  Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and in the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• Effective action on climate change FSDS goal and SDG 13 Climate action: considering the potential effects of climate change while developing remedial action plans will allow for those remediated sites to be more resilient to climate change effects
• Low carbon government FSDS goal and SDG 13 Climate action: the renewed program  will work towards reducing GHG emissions associated with remediation by bundling  multiple sites that will be addressed at once, remedial activities cleanups, thereby limiting the need to dispatch equipment and crews multiple times, reducing the number of trips required to the sites
• Clean growth FSDS goal and SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities: encourage innovative and sustainable technologies which will be a high priority especially for remote, northern and Indigenous communities affected by contaminated sites
• Modern and resilient infrastructure FSDS goal and SDG 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure: site remediation will use infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change
• Clean energy FSDS goal and SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy: projects will use, when applicable, renewable energy sources during site remediation efforts and will encourage the establishment of clean energy facilities long term
• Healthy coasts and oceans FSDS goal and SDG 14 Protecting life below water: remediating aquatic contaminated sites will support the health of aquatic species and contribute to the protection of Canada’s oceans
• Pristine lakes and rivers FSDS goal and SDG 14 Protecting life below water: remediating sites that are located adjacent to water sources will protect the integrity of Canadian lakes and rivers
• Healthy wildlife populations FSDS goal and SDG 15 Life on land: remediating contaminated sites will allow for wildlife to rely on natural resources with minimal risk to their health
• Clean drinking water FSDS goal and SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation: remediating polluted sites will prevent contamination from migrating into clean water sources which will be cleaned to a state where they no longer pose potential health risks
• Sustainable food FSDS goal and SDG 2 Zero hunger: contaminants can degrade agricultural land and may pose health risks for communities who rely on hunting and fishing, such as Indigenous communities, remediating contaminations could  provide access to cleaner food sources
• Connecting Canadians with nature FSDS goal and SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals: working closely with other departments, the FCSAP will continue working on restoring sites that Canadians can use to reconnect with nature and historical sites
• Safe and healthy communities FSDS goal and SDG 3 Good health and well-being SDG 10 Reduce inequalities: maintaining the health and safety of Canadian communities is one of the primary objectives of FCSAP and remediating contaminated sites will help improve air quality and help ensure access to clean food and drinking water

FCSAP tracks quantitative results through the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory (FCSI). The results are rolled up through annual reports that are published by the FCSAP Secretariat. Through this renewal, FCSAP will integrate new tracking metrics to better align with Government of Canada priorities and relate more closely to the interests of Canadians. These new metrics will include:

• tracking how FCSAP incorporates climate change considerations
• increasing the hire of local and Indigenous workers contracted to undertake work at the site
• integration of innovative technology
• tracking results from the secondary socio-economic benefits of the program