Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines

The National Guidelines and Standards Office (NGSO) is part of Environment Canada. NGSO provides nationally approved, science-based measures of environmental quality including guidelines, standards, and objectives. The primary focus of the group is the development of national guidelines for the quality of:

• water;
• sediment;
• soil; and
• fish tissue residues.

Summary

The Canadian public, industry and government profit from nationally consistent, science-based goals for environmental quality.

The National Guidelines and Standards Office (NGSO) works cooperatively with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to develop Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines for water, sediment, soil and fish tissue.

Environmental Quality Guidelines are recommended numerical or narrative limits for a variety of pollutants (organic and inorganic chemicals) or environmental quality characteristics (such as dissolved oxygen or pH), which, if not met, may impair the health of Canadian ecosystems.

A free downloadable Table Summary of the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines is available from the CCME Web site. The first compendium of Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, accompanied by a searchable CD-ROM, can also be purchased from the CCME. Some technical documents are available in either paper copy or electronically by contacting Environment Canada.

NGSO's What's New at CCME? page presents recently developed guidelines, what NGSO is working on and more.

Environmental Quality Guidelines are implemented in a number of ways. Implementation is voluntary, though guidelines may be used indirectly in regulation, such as forming part of the basis for permitting discharges to surface water. Guidelines may be modified by provinces/territories using site-specific information, but should still provide the same level of protection as the CCME guidelines. Users of the guidelines are advised to contact the appropriate jurisdiction regarding implementation of the environmental quality guidelines.

Note: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality are administered by Health Canada.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
See National Contact.

---

National Contact(s):
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)
Suite 360
123 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba  R3C 1A3
Telephone: 204-948-2090
Fax: 204-948-2125
E-mail: info@ccme.ca
Web site: http://www.ccme.ca/

Water Quality & Health Bureau
Health Canada
A. L. 0900C2
Address Locator: 6604B
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0K9
Telephone: 613-952-2594
Fax: 613-952-2574
Toll-free (information): 1-866-225-0709
TTY Toll-free (hearing impaired): 1-800-267-1245
E-mail: water_eau@hc-sc.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html

National Guidelines and Standards Office
Environment Canada
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-953-1550
Fax: 819-953-0461
E-mail: ceqg-rcqe@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html