Federal Contaminated Sites Action PlanAn Update on Progress and What’s Ahead

RemEAST 2015 Halifax – Nov 9-10, 2015

Rita MrozFCSAP Atlantic RegionEnvironment Canada

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Overview

• FCSAP Background, Objectives and Funding

• Accomplishments to date

• Update on FCSAP initiatives

• Showcase Select FCSAP-funded Sites

• Considerations for the future

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Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP)

Background• 2002 Report of the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable

Development (CESD) was critical of the federal government’s awareness of its contaminated sites’ obligations.

Program Objectives• Reduce environmental and human health risks from known federal

contaminated sites and associated federal financial liabilities • Ancillary benefits - employment, skills development, technology

advancement

Funding • $4.23 billion over 15 years (2005-2020)

Governance• Co-managed by Treasury Board and

Environment Canada HQ (collectively = “FCSAP Secretariat”)

• Expert Support Depts– EC– HC– DFO– PWGSC

Basic Eligibility • Federal sites, or sites for which the federal

government is liable• Pre-1998 contamination (“legacy” issues)• 80-20 cost share between FCSAP and

Custodian• Must be listed on the Federal Contaminated

Sites Inventory (FCSI)

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The First 10 Years:FCSAP Accomplishments to Date

(to 2005-2015)• Better understanding of the size and extent of the

federal contaminated sites • Sites on the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory (FCSI)

increased from 4,000 known (2005) to over 22,800 known or suspected sites currently

• Assessment activity on 10,370 sites • Remediation on 1,550 sites (790 completed) • $2.67B spent as of March 31, 2015 • Over 12,8000 private sector jobs created

Impact of FCSAP on Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory

• 22,800 sites • 14,430 (63%) of sites in the FCSI

are closed • 2,604 (11%) of sites are

suspected (i.e., historical review or Phase I ESA is underway or complete)

• 5,786 (25%) active sites: • assessment stage• developing or implementing

remediation/ risk management strategies

• long term monitoring

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SuspectedActiveClosed

FCSI (Nov 1, 2015)

Federal Environmental Liability Estimates

• Federal liability for remediation of contaminated sites was $4.8 B as of March 31, 2014 (Public Accounts of Canada)

• For those sites for which an environmental liability was reported:– Most (75%) federal contaminated sites are “small” with expected

remediation costs under $250,000

– 37 sites (2%) have expected remediation costs over $10M:• account for about 75% of the total federal liability for contaminated sites • majority belong to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

(AANDC) and Department of National Defence (DND)

• Liability has decreased by $1.46B since 2005 due to remediation activities but has increased by $3.75B as a result of more accurate cost estimates and new sites identified (net increase of $2.28B)

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Federal Environmental Liability Estimates

Regional Distribution of FCSI Sites and Liability in 2013-14

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Territories have relatively fewer sites but theyaccount for more than 50% of current liability(due to theircomplexity & size)

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Atlantic Quebec Ontario Prairies BritishColumbia

Territories

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Number of active siteson FCSINumber of active class1 or 2 sites% of total liability

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FCSAP Funding by FY: Historical and Planned*

Expenditures Allocated Funding

Total expenditures to date + allocated funding=$2.92B

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$M

Assesment

Remediation

*Includes custodian cost-share

FCSAP Expert Support Guidance and Tools

Tools for improved decision making• Decision Making Framework (FCSAP Secretariat)• Priority for Assessment Tool (FCSAP Secretariat)• Cost Management/Lessons Learned Database Framework (PWGSC)• Guidance and Orientation for Selecting Technologies (GOST) (PWGSC)

General and Science-Based project management tools/guidance• Interim Groundwater Quality Guidelines (pending CCME g/w guidelines)• FCSAP Database of Guidelines (EC)• FCSAP Aquatic Sites Classification System (DFO in collaboration with EC)• National Classification System for Contaminated Sites and Aquatic Site Classification

System – Supplemental Guidance (EC, DFO and HC) • Site Closure Tool • Long Term Monitoring Planning Guidance (DFO in collaboration with EC and HC)• Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance and Modules – (EC in collaboration with DFO)

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General and Science-Based project management tools/guidance (cont.)• Statement of Work for Ecological Risk Assessment (EC in collaboration with DFO and

PWGSC) • Interim Advice to Federal Custodian Departments for the Management of Federal

Contaminated Sites Containing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) (FCSAP Secretariat in collaboration with HC)

• Interim Guidance on Human Health Risk Assessment for Short-Term Exposure to Carcinogens at Contaminated Sites (HC)

• Sustainability Decision Support Tool (EC and PWGSC)• Sediment Costing Tool (PWGSC)• Management Handbook for Contaminated Sites Remediation (PWGSC)• Case Studies and Best Practices Guidance (PWGSC)

For FCSAP Guidance, please visit the FCSAP Web portal at: http://www.federalcontaminatedsites.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=B15E990A-1

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FCSAP Expert Support Guidance and Tools

Case Studies

• Located outside Yellowknife, NWT• Gold mine 1948-1999• Operator (Royal Oak Mines) went

into receivership and the site was transferred to AANDC in 1999.

• 2000: AANDC sold mine assets to Miramar Mining Corp while maintaining liability for the site

• 200-2004: ore was produced, taken away for off-site processing

• 2005 – Miramar terminated its obligations; site officially abandoned.

• Site under care of AANDC, with assistance from PWGSC

Giant Mine

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Areas for Remediation • Arsenic Trioxide Dust (stored in subsurface chambers)

• Baker Creek (flows through the site; potential to flood pits/underground mine workings)

• Open Pits & Waste Rock (physical hazards, water management)

• Contaminated Soils (up to 10,000 mk/kg)

• Tailings and Sludge (95 hectares)

• Buildings and Waste Disposal (over 100 buildings; contaminated with arsenic and asbestos)

• Water Management (500,000 m3 of mine water/yr)

Arsenic Trioxide Chambers

Baker Creek

Tailings Ponds

Active remediation phase: estimated 2020 – 2035Long Term Monitoring: will be required post-2035.

Faro• Located near the town of

Faro, Yukon• Lead-zinc open pit mine

1969-1998• Once considered the

largest in the world• Placed in receivership in

1998• Site under care of AANDC,

with assistance from PWGSC

Location

Faro Mine

• 258 million Tonnes waste rock covering 368 hectares

• 28 million Tonnes of mostly segregated massive sulphide materials (sulphide cells, oxide rock and low grade ore – already acidic)

• 130 million Tonnes of low sulphide materials (expected to become acidic in the future)

Rose Creek Tailings Facility

Vangorda Plateau AreaGrum Site

• 28 million Tonnes of materials covering 132 hectares

• 2 million Tonnes of segregated massive sulphide materials (already acidic)

• 4.2 million Tonnes of low sulphide materials (expected to become acidic in future)

Vangorda Mine Site• 8.3 million Tonnes covering 46

hectares• 2.8 million Tonnes of

segregated massive sulphide materials covering 11 hectares (already acidic)

• 5 million Tonnes of low sulphide materials (expected to become acidic in future)

Swallowtail

• Located on Grand Manan Island, NB

• Metals contamination in soil• Lead: up to 67,400 mg/kg• Arsenic: up to 52 mg/kg• Barium: up to 8,730 mg/kg

• Due to the remote location, on-site soil washing treatment was selected

Swallowtail• Mobile soil washing unit was

airlifted to the site via Canadian Coast Guard helicopter.

• Soil washing using physical separation techniques were use to separate fine, contaminated soil from the larger uncontaminated soils

• 1,700 tonnes of soil was processed

• Average lead concentration in treated soil: 119mg/kg (below site specific target level)

• Approx 85 tonnes of fine soils placed in one-tonne sacks and airlifter to further treatment/ disposal.

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What’s Ahead - Planning for the FutureFCSAP is the central program for federal contaminated sites assessment and remediation. Despite the progress, there is still much work to do.

Long-term strategy for Phase III (2016-17 to 2019-20)• What are the remaining assessment and

remediation costs of federal contaminated sites compared to funding available for Phase III?

Beyond Phase III (2020)• How many sites and what costs will remain at the

end of the FCSAP Program?

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More information:

Federal Contaminated Sites Web portal: www.federalcontaminatedsites.gc.ca

Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fcsi-rscf

Thank You!