Assessing and prioritizing contaminated sites

Federal contaminated sites are classified and prioritized by the responsible departments, agencies, and consolidated Crown corporations (also referred to as custodians), based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment National Classification System for Contaminated Sites (NCSCS) and the Aquatic Sites Classification System (ASCS) developed under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).

The NCSCS and the ASCS provide scientific and technical assistance to identify and prioritize sites. The systems classify contaminated sites into general categories of risk in a systematic and rational manner, according to their current or potential adverse impact on human health and/or the environment. Under FCSAP, sites presenting higher risks are addressed as first priority.