section2-05

Environmental Aspect and Objective

Strategy

Status

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction

Reduce GHG emissions from Parks Canada’s operations by 5.2% by 2011.

• Purchase of hybrid vehicles, electric utility vehicles.
• Purchase of biodiesel and ethanol fuel.
• Implementation of energy efficiency initiatives and green building practices.
• Employee awareness initiatives.

• 1997-98 baseline output: 56.3 kilotonnes
• 2010-11 target output: 53.4 kilotonnes

Contaminated Sites

All field units assess and rank their contaminated sites by March 2006.

All field units develop and implement remediation or risk management plans for all sites by March 2009.

• Identify sites suspected of being contaminated.
• Assess each site and where contamination is confirmed.
• Intervene in sites where impacts to ecological and human health represent the highest risks.

• In 2006-2007, 42 initial (phase II) or detailed (phase III) assessments at 16 properties were completed. Six remediation projects were funded at 6 properties.
• The Agency met its March 2006 target developed in 2003. However, suspected sites were newly added to the inventory. With at least 13 assessments of new suspected sites planned for 2007-2008, the initial assessment and ranking of all sites will be nearly completed.

Petroleum Storage Tanks

Full compliance with the Federal Registration Regulations and the Federal Technical Guidelines to reduce potential releases in the environment.

• Assess compliance against upcoming regulations and upgrade or replace non-compliant tanks.
• Register smaller aboveground tanks (under 4,000 litres) in anticipation of the new requirements of the upcoming regulations.

Halocarbons

Full compliance with the Federal Halocarbon Regulations to eliminate releases to the atmosphere.

• Developed new approach that will focus on full knowledge of applicable regulations to ensure proper service and disposal rather than the previous practice of inventorying.

Note new approach for future reporting.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Full compliance with the PCB Regulations to reduce potential releases in the environment.

• Developed new approach that will focus on full knowledge of applicable regulations to ensure proper service and disposal rather than the previous practice of inventorying.

* Includes 10 field units who declared themselves PCB free.
Note new approach for future reporting.

Salt Management

Pursue environmental protection while maintaining roadway safety, as per the Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts.

• Prepare salt management plans and implement best management practices for the 16 national parks and national historic sites that have a through highway.

16 national parks and national historic sites have through highways:

• 10 have prepared SMPs and are implementing best practices;
• 6 have no SMP but are reporting on quantities of salt used and methods of application.

Source: Parks Canada Real Property Branch, Parks Canada Ecological Integrity Branch (for contaminated sites)