2024 Reports 1 to 5 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada—Contaminated sites in the North continue to carry significant[...]

Ottawa, 30 April 2024-A report released today by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco concludes that contaminated sites in northern Canada have not been managed to reduce the financial liability under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. Although 18,000 sites across Canada have been closed, gaps remain in practices intended to reduce the risks to the environment and human health.

The audit found that since the launch of the action plan in 2005, the financial liability for known contaminated sites had increased from $2.9 billion to $10.1 billion. While only 11% of the total number of federal sites are in the North, which was the focus of this audit, over 60% of Canada's total estimated financial liability is for the remediation of those sites.

The audit found that Transport Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada-which manage contaminated sites in the North-complied with the action plan, but this was not enough for the program to meet its Canada-wide objectives of reducing financial liability and risks to the environment and human health. The audit also found that the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan-led by Environment and Climate Change Canada with the support of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat-did not include realistic targets for climate adaptation and was missing key targets for Indigenous engagement and socio-economic benefits to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Large, abandoned mines in the North under the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program present immediate and long-term risks to the environment and human health. For example, the Faro Mine requires ongoing maintenance for the foreseeable future to prevent contaminated water from polluting surrounding areas, and the Giant Mine requires a large volume of arsenic to remain frozen underground. The cost to remediate the largest 8 abandoned mines in the North has increased by 95% since 2019 due to several factors, including more accurate estimates to reflect the scope of work required to address these sites.

"After 20 years, there is still much work needed to reduce financial liability related to contaminated sites and to lower environmental and human health risks for current and future generations," said Mr. DeMarco. "As well, the government needs to take urgent action to advance socio-economic benefits, including employment opportunities, and to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples whose lands are often affected by contaminated sites."

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The 2024 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 1-Contaminated Sites in the North, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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