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Location: Ministry Home > Reporting Spills and Environmental Emergencies
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Reporting Spills and Environmental Emergencies
Emergency? Call Toll Free: 1-800-268-6060
Spills Action Centre
When pollutants are spilled into the environment, the ministry's primary role is to ensure that whoever is responsible for the spill contains it and cleans up the site in accordance with ministry guidelines.
The Spills Action Centre, staffed on a 24-hour basis, receives and records province-wide reports of spills and co-ordinates appropriate responses.
Spills are defined as releases of pollutants into the natural environment originating from a structure, vehicle, or other container, and that are abnormal in light of all circumstances. Spills must be reported immediately to the ministry and to the municipality when they cause or are likely to cause any of the following:
- impairment to the quality of the natural environment - air, water, or land;
- injury or damage to property or animal life;
- adverse health effects;
- safety risk;
- making property, plant, or animal life unfit for use;
- loss of enjoyment of normal use of property; or
- interference with the normal conduct of business.
If you believe you may have a spill or other environmental emergency, call the Spills Action Centre.
- Spills Action Centre
5775 Yonge Street
5th floor
North York ON M2M 4J1
Toll Free: 1-800-268-6060
Tel: (416) 325-3000
Fax (416) 325-3011
The Spills Action Centre handles reports of spills and other environmental emergencies. Inquiries about other environmental issues should be directed to the ministry's Public Information Centre. For more information about the Spills action Centre, read "Spills and Emergencies: The Role of the Ministry of the Environment" (in .pdf format).
The Spills Action Centre Mission/Mandate:
To enable the most effective response actions from all stakeholders
to emergent undesirable environmental events by operating a 24-hour,
province-wide, toll-free telephone reporting service with live answer
from staff proficient in environmental law, policy, science and technology
supported by procedures for activating and applying environmental
expertise and resources;
And, through formal arrangements:
Provide a similar service to client agencies having parallel province-wide
health, safety, or environmental mandates.
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