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Star Glam Gazette

How many contaminated sites are there in Canada?

Author

Ava Richardson

Updated on May 23, 2026

To date, departments, agencies and consolidated Crown corporations have identified and classified over 22,000 contaminated or suspected contaminated sites in urban, rural and remote areas across Canada, using the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Classification System, an enhanced version of the Canadian …

What are contamination sites?

Types and Extent

  • Sites contaminated by improper handling or disposal of toxic and hazardous materials and wastes.
  • Sites where toxic materials may have been deposited as a result of natural disasters or acts of terror.

What are the pollutants called?

Under the Clean Air Act, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for six common air pollutants, also called “criteria pollutants”: particulates; smog and ground-level ozone; carbon monoxide; sulfur oxides; nitrogen oxides; and lead.

How many abandoned waste sites are there in Ontario?

At the present time, the Ministry of the Environment in Ontario has identified approximately 365 illegal waste sites in the Central Region of the Province, comprising the GTA and some surrounding areas.

What causes Canada’s pollution?

Air pollution. Air pollution in Canada is contributed by industrial and vehicular emissions, agriculture, construction, wood burning and energy production. A recent report found that Canadian companies contributed 73% more to air pollution than companies in the United States.

What is the EPA Superfund program?

EPA’s Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of the nation’s most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters.

How does Superfund work?

It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work. When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites.

What does fcsap stand for?

Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) is a 15-year program that was established in 2005 with funding of $3.5 billion from the Government of Canada. The primary objective of the FCSAP program is to reduce environmental and human health risks from known federal contaminated sites…

How much is the Government of Canada investing in fcsap?

The Government of Canada is investing $1.16 billion over five years (2020 to 2024) in FCSAP: $1.05 billion to remediate 1,316 contaminated sites, $24.3 million to assess 242 sites, and $83.4 million to manage this program. A list of the sites that are planned to be assessed and remediated in FCSAP Phase IV is presented below.

How many contaminated sites have been closed under fcsap?

16,845 closed sites (completed or no action required) In FCSAP Phase IV (2020 to 2024) custodians will continue to remediate the highest priority contaminated sites, reducing their environmental and human health risks, and the associated federal financial liabilities.

What is fcsap Phase IV (2020 to 2024)?

In FCSAP Phase IV (2020 to 2024) custodians will continue to remediate the highest priority contaminated sites, reducing their environmental and human health risks, and the associated federal financial liabilities.