Canada Wide Standards

The Canada-wide Environmental Standards Sub-agreement is a framework for federal, provincial, and territorial Environment Ministers to work together to address key environmental protection and health risk reduction issues that require common environmental standards across the country.

Set under the framework of the Canada-wide Accord on Environmental Harmonization, the Standards Sub-agreement sets out principles for governments to jointly agree on priorities, to develop standards, and to prepare complementary workplans to achieve those standards, based on the unique responsibilities and legislation of each government. The sub-agreement does not change the jurisdiction of governments nor does it delegate authority.

The Canadian Council of Minister's of the Environment (CCME) have endorsed the following Canada-wide Standards (includes Yukon Implementation Plans):

• fine particulate matter
• ground-level ozone
• mercury:
  • incineration
  • lamps
  • dental amalgam wastes
  • base metal smelting
• dioxins and furans:
  • waste incinerators
  • pulp and paper boilers burning salt-laden wood
• benzene
• petroleum hydrocarbons in soil

For more information on the Canada-wide Standards and other current initiatives, visit the CCME website at: www.ccme.ca.