Federal Contaminated Sites

Federal contaminated sites are a legacy of past practices, the environmental consequences of which were not fully understood at the time. They are sites that are now under the responsibility of federal government departments and contain chemical substances (e.g., heavy metals, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) or petroleum products) that pose or are likely to pose risks to human health or the environment.

Over the past two decades, Canadians have become increasingly aware of these risks, and the Government of Canada has responded through the establishment of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP). The main objective of the plan is to reduce the risks these sites may pose to the human health and the environment, an outcome that will benefit all Canadians.

This web site is intended to provide information sources on or related to this action plan for members of the public and stakeholders (custodians and environmental technology companies and consultants). Although the entire web site is available to both audiences, one portion is intended to provide general information on the program to the public, while the other is intended to provide a single window to those interested in obtaining a more detailed array of technical information sources on contaminated sites.