The CBSA to receive funds under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan

August 2, 2005 - The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Environment Canada, announced today that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will receive $971,000 over the next 3 years to remediate the site of the Pleasant Camp Land Border Office as part of the on-going efforts of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).

The Pleasant Camp Port of Entry is a remote land border crossing located on the British Columbia/Alaska border. The remediation project will begin in summer 2005 and will continue for approximately three years using In-situ bioremediation technology. In-situ bioremediation (ISB) uses naturally occurring micro-organisms to degrade contaminants, turning them into harmless chemicals. ISB can completely break down the contaminants with reduced risk to workers, as well as lower equipment and operating costs.

The contamination was caused by a spill from a diesel storage tank in 1980. Over the last five years, the site of the Pleasant Camp Port of Entry has been monitored to determine if it posed any potential health, environmental and/or safety risks. It has been determined there are no significant risks to the health and safety of port employees or visiting travellers.

Under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), federal contaminated sites are ranked according to their risk to human health and the environment, and funding is allocated accordingly. These sites may be located on lands owned or leased by the federal government or on non-federal lands where the federal government has accepted full responsibility for the contamination. Departments retain responsibility for dealing with their sites, and share the cost of this action plan.

As part of the FCSAP, the CBSA has taken a proactive approach and has aggressively remediated its 30 minor contaminated sites over the past 5 years. All sites have been assessed and over 80 percent have been remediated or are being risk-managed. The sites pose very little to no health risk to those working, living or visiting the sites and surrounding area.

For more information:

• Environment Canada News Release
• Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory
• Accelerated Action Plan for Federal Contaminated Sites