Contaminated Sites

The Government of Canada appreciates that a clean environment is key to maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. To this end, the government has established the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), to identify, assess, and manage risks posed by federal contaminated sites. Health Canada supports this responsibility by addressing any contaminated sites for which it may be responsible, and by providing Expert Support to individual departments and through participation on the federal Contaminated Sites Management Working Group (CSMWG).

As the group at Health Canada responsible for delivering the department's responsibilities as an Expert Support Department within the FCSAP, the Contaminated Sites Division provides guidance, training, advice and tools pertaining to human health risk assessment to federal departments managing contaminated sites. We also work closely with Environmental Health Assessment Services of Health Canada; a federal authority on integration of health issues in environmental assessments conducted under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Human health risk assessment is an important component of environmental assessment. Our research and policy development in this area produces reports, publications, and guidance documents, and is used by government and industry.

Effective public involvement initiatives enable custodial departments to consider and integrate the concerns and knowledge of diverse interested and affected Canadians.

The Contaminated Sites Program's public involvement division provides expert advice, guidance, training and tools to custodial departments on the best practices and innovative methods for incorporating stakeholders into contaminated site management.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding human health risk assessment and public involvement related to federal contaminated sites.