Environmental Risk Assessment and Management in Evaluation of Contaminated Military Sites

Abstract

The National Contaminated Sites Remediation Program (NCSRP) was established in Canada in 1991 to ensure a coordinated, nationally consistent approach to the identification, assessment, and remediation of contaminated sites in Canada [1, 2]. This program addresses sites that currently are impacting, as well as those that have the potential to impact on human health or on the environment. Special rules apply when an industrial site or a military base is involved. In these cases, the site must be ‘decommissioned’ prior to selling the land or using it for other purposes. Decommissioning refers to the process of closing; it includes the removal of equipment, the dismantling of buildings and structures, the remediation of any soil contamination, and the reclamation of land to render the property suitable for other purposes [3]. It may apply to all or part of the facility, but it aims to ensure that the end product is a site that is:

• • not a risk to human health and safety;

• • not the cause of unacceptable effects on the environment;

• • in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations;

• • suitable for the proposed new land use;

• • not a liability to current and future owners; and

• • aesthetically acceptable.