Welcome to the Wood Preservation Web site.

This site provides information about the Strategic Options Process (SOP) for managing potentially toxic environmental contaminants that are used within the Canadian wood preservation industry. The site also provides an update on the progress that has been achieved by all stakeholders (e.g., wood preservation manufacturing and treatment sector, federal government, provincial government, public interest groups, and academia) involved in the implementation of recommendations developed from the SOP.

The 'Overview' section provides information on toxic substances used in the wood preservation sector. The other sidebar buttons link to updates on the activities of the Steering Committees and various working groups (including the development of an outreach and educational program), news and upcoming events, and links and resources related to this topic.

Potentially toxic chemicals are identified under The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999), and are assessed to determine their risks to the Canadian environment and human health. Once these are found to be toxic, the next step is to identify and review the options that are available to reduce these risks from a lifecycle management perspective. Generally, two approaches have been used by the federal government to develop management options for the substances that are declared toxic under CEPA, 1999: by substance and by industrial sector.

The work that is currently being done—addressing the lifecycle management of CEPA-toxic substances and implementing risk-reduction options within the wood preservation sector—is profiled through this site. The Web site will help facilitate communications within this sector of the Strategic Options Process by making current information readily available to all concerned stakeholders across Canada. It is also intended to help make this an open process by providing information to concerned Canadians.