Federal contaminated sites policy framework

The federal contaminated sites policy framework is a collection of policies and best practices to guide custodians in the management of federal contaminated sites and includes the requirement for custodians to update and certify specified data in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory (FCSI).

Currently, policy direction for the management of federal contaminated sites is contained in the Treasury Board Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments (the Policy) and the Directive on the Management of Real Property
(the Directive) in effect since May 2021.

The objective of the Policy and Directive is to ensure that federal real property is managed in a sustainable and financially responsible manner throughout its life cycle to support the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs. The Directive outlines a number of requirements related to environmental considerations in the management of federal real property, including the management of federal contaminated sites.

The accounting for remediation liabilities related to contaminated sites is driven by the accounting policies of the Government of Canada, which are based on the accounting standards set by the Public Sector Accounting Board and by the Directive on Accounting Standards: GC 3260 Liability for Contaminated Sites and its associated guidance and relevant legislation.

Other Related Treasury Board Guidance:

• Guide to Portfolio Management and the Real Property Portfolio Strategy

Key relevant federal legislation can be found at the following page: About federal contaminated sites