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Section A - Progress on targets

We made good progress in the area of organizational strengthening for SD - a necessary step for successful implementation of the SD strategy. There were also many important initiatives undertaken that were not included as specific commitments within the strategy, but contributed significantly to advancing our SD goals. This section of the report summarizes our achievements during the period.

Goal 1: Enhancing internal capacities

What is the issue?

If we are to do our part to contribute to SD, it is essential that we develop an understanding of the concept and how it applies to what we do on an operational level, policy level, and program level.

What are the legislated requirements or best practices?

Best practices for building capacities involve targeted and sustained communications and skills development.

What are the constraints?

SD is a complex, multi-faceted concept that means different things to different people, organizations, and communities. Communicating the meaning of SD to an organization as large and diverse as the CCRA is therefore not a simple matter.

Goal 1: For 2000-2001, we completed the one target scheduled for implementation in the period.

For the period, we said we would:

Review the SD program for improvement opportunities

The Corporate Review Directorate within Corporate Affairs Branch conducted an internal management review of the SD program, starting in February 2000. The final report was presented to senior management in September 2000. The main recommendations were incorporated in the development of the new SD strategy. This contributed to developing an improved SD strategy with targets that are more specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-bound (SMART). The process is described in Section B.

Progress was also advanced on the following objectives:

Renew commitment to SD

Defining, documenting, and communicating roles, responsibilities, and expectations related to SD was necessary for the implementation of the SD strategy. This process began in June 1999 with the Sustainable Development in Action Report which identified the responsibilities and accountabilities for branches and regions in implementing the CCRA's SD targets. This was further enhanced through consultations that began in December 1999 for writing the new SD strategy for 2001-2004. As a result, all commitments were assigned an Office of Primary Interest (OPI) that is responsible for ensuring implementation and reporting to Headquarters. Where applicable, an Office(s) of Collaborating Interest and a partner(s) were identified to work with the OPI in achieving targets.

We continued work on developing our SD policy by conducting a second round of consultations with branches and regions. The purpose of the policy is to articulate the roles and responsibilities of the CCRA and employees in integrating the principles of SD into the way we do business. This process will continue during the next reporting period, and the policy is on target to be approved by the end of March 2002.

Enhance internal communications to co-ordinate contribution to SD

We continued to focus on building SD awareness among employees. At the leadership level, we briefed the Agency Management Committee (AMC) and the new Board of Management on the SD strategy and performance. We seized several opportunities to sensitize management to SD issues within the CCRA. This included presentations made to the Finance and Administration Committee and to other members of management through meetings and forums. One such example is the SD discussion held at the annual meeting of CCRA tax directors held in Penticton, British Columbia, in June 2000. This opportunity was also used to solicit feedback for input into the development of the new SD strategy. We also integrated SD awareness into national CCRA events such as the Real Property Forum and the National Security Conference. In both instances, we demonstrated the applicability of the principles of SD to their areas of work. On an operational level, the Finance and Administration Branch continued to liaise with and provide professional advice and guidance on environmental stewardship, project management requirements, and delivery to the SD and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) representatives in the branches and regions.

At the employee level, we supported Canadian Environment Week by promoting various opportunities for employee participation. Our main objective for Environment Week was to raise the awareness of employees on environmental issues inside and outside the CCRA. Senior management's support for the week of activities was demonstrated by Commissioner Rob Wright and the AMC planting a tree by at the Connaught Building in Ottawa. In collaboration with Tree Canada, we sold trees at various Headquarter locations, raising a total of $1,188 1 . The most popular event of the week was the presentations made by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation on the crucial link between human health, environmental issues, and the survival of wildlife. Finally, there was the Commuter Challenge that sought to encourage employees to use more environmentally friendly modes of commuting. Within Headquarters, a total of 349 employees registered for the program, an increase of 110 participants over the previous year. The CCRA was ranked fourth among federal departments and agencies. It was calculated that a total of 11,663.58 kilograms of pollutants were saved from being released into the atmosphere. Despite these achievements, there was room for improvement, particularly concerning the relatively low level of participation and inadequate information on results provided to Headquarters from regions. We will address this shortcoming in future by strengthening our communication with the branches and regions.

While we were not in a position to capture all the results of the various activities, the best measure of SD awareness is the level of participation of staff in choosing sustainable options in their daily decisions. One tool identified for capturing this information is an SD awareness survey. This is scheduled for development within the next reporting period.

We established the National Environmental Management System (EMS) Committee in July 2000 2 and appointed a National Co-ordinator. The work of the committee will enable us to plan, manage, and promote continual improvement of our environmental issues. In September 2000, we convened a three-day national EMS workshop in Ottawa. This resulted in 30 CCRA employees being trained on the ISO 14001 standard for EMS. We also confirmed the CCRA's significant environmental aspects, reviewed the draft environment policy, finalized the legal requirements for the EMS, selected the software that will be used to maintain the electronic legal database, and consulted on our goal of greening government operations in our new SD strategy for 2001-2004.

We completed several reports on SD that were made available across the CCRA. These included the Performance Report on Sustainable Development for 1999-2000, SD input into the CCRA Departmental Performance Report, and the Report on Plans and Priorities. We were commended in the 2001 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the House of Commons for balanced reporting in our SD contribution to the CCRA Departmental Performance Report 2000-2001.

We initiated activities to develop and improve our SD reporting system. With the current system of performance reporting, Headquarters sends a call letter to all SD representatives, who in turn gather their SD performance information and return to Headquarters for input into the annual Performance Report on Sustainable Development. There are three major shortcomings to this reporting process. Firstly, in many cases the reports from branches and regions do not include information on initiatives and activities that support SD. Secondly, commitments are not reported on in a systematic way. Finally, there is a tendency to report on activities without mentioning results. To address these challenges, we investigated with Natural Resources Canada the application of their electronic Actions Items Management System (AIMS), which tracks and reports on SD commitments. Consultations will continue to assess the possibility of adapting this system for the CCRA's SD reporting needs. We will complement the system with increased collaborations with SD representatives to enhance performance reporting.

Provide management and employees with knowledge and skills to contribute to SD

SD awareness, learning, and training are the foundation upon which the successful implementation of our strategy rests. An SD learning strategy and action plan are targeted for development to identify SD training and leaning needs, as well as outline how they will be implemented. The SD Division initiated discussions with the Human Resources Branch to collaborate on development. The two parties agreed on the information needed to develop this strategy, and we will continue collaborating to advance this commitment within the next period. Efforts will made to develop additional computer-based learning tools over time and review existing learning and training programs for SD inclusions.

Branches and regions promoted SD learning by making learning tools available to staff. For example, the Pacific Region established its SD Web site in September 2000 and developed and posted best practices on it. They also kept staff informed on SD developments through a quarterly electronic newsletter. The Quebec Region established its SD Committee in fall 2000 to strengthen its SD planning and communication requirements.

Enhance internal capacities to measure and monitor the effects of decisions and activities on sustaining economic, social, and environmental development

We contributed to the work of the interdepartmental committee on Performance Measurement for Sustainable Government Operations (PMSGO) that seeks to develop performance indicators for all government operations. A consultant was contracted to develop a report that would align performance indicators with sample targets. The consultant was required to identify options for a reporting framework and describe opportunities and challenges to implementation by considering previous government and private-sector work related to performance indicators. An interim report was presented to the PMSGO committee for review. A workshop is scheduled for May 2001 to consult with all departments, including the CCRA, in developing a Sustainable Development Government Operations (SDGO) planning and performance guide.

Promote continuous improvement

We sought to integrate SD considerations in the employee recognition program. The Human Resources Branch made the necessary adjustments to include SD as an eligible area for recognition in the Guide for Administering the Recognition Program for employees. This now makes it possible to recognize employees at the annual employee awards ceremony who have made contributions to SD during the course of their work.

Enhance and develop new partnerships that support SD objectives

The CCRA continued to participate in 12 interdepartmental committees on SD. Some of these included the Interdepartmental Network on Sustainable Development Strategies (INSDS), the Committee for Performance Measurement for Sustainable Government Operations (PMSGO), the Environmental Awareness Training Group (EATG), the Federal House in Order Committee on Climate Change, and the Contaminated Sites Management working Group (CSMWG). These collaborations helped us develop our new and improved SD strategy, brought us closer to defining common federal performance indicators, provided us with a valuable resource for environmental training, advanced initiatives such as ECOPASS to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and assisted in our management of contaminated sites.

To encourage networking with other organizations and support for external sustainable initiatives, the CCRA donated $10,000 for Canada's participation in the International Green Building Challenge 2000. This initiative seeks to advance green building designs and the technology to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse emissions.

Goal 2: Integrating SD into key management frameworks

What is the issue?

Goal 2 seeks to ensure that SD thinking becomes part of the way we do business. SD thinking will only happen if it is integrated into the current and new management tools and processes that we use to make decisions, such as proposal approval processes, memoranda of understanding and agreement, business cases, standards, and guidelines.

What are the legislated requirements or best practices?

Best practices for integrating SD into management tools and processes include the need to ensure that, in the normal, periodic review of our decision-making tools and processes, consideration is given to potential environmental effects, as well as economic and social effects.

What are the constraints?

We have many management tools and processes in our organization ranging from high-level strategic plans and planning processes to the day-to-day operational procedures, standards, and guides that help us carry out our internal activities and client services, consistent with our mandate, corporate values, and objectives.

Some of these tools and processes are key vehicles to ensure that we apply SD thinking to our business. The "owner" of the tool or process must understand SD enough to apply the SD lens to the tool or process when it comes time to review and revise it.

Goal 2: For the current period, we had no targets scheduled for completion. However, we advanced activities on outstanding targets from the previous period. These were:

Integrate socio-economic and environmental factors into overall frameworks and decision-making processes

Although SD is already included into key documents such as accountability contracts, the Departmental Performance Report, and the Report on Plans and Priorities, it is necessary that this process be deepened. Our ultimate aim is to align and integrate the SD planning and reporting processes with existing corporate planning and reporting processes. One of the changes we made along this route was to adjust the reporting period for the SD strategy from the calendar year to the fiscal year. As a result, the implementation of the 1997 SD strategy was extended three months to end March 31, 2001, instead of December 31, 2000. This will enable easier integration of SD initiatives and reporting with the corporate agenda.

We provided valuable SD input into consultations on the CCRA's Administrative Reform and Renewal (AR&R) Initiative. We analyzed our SD business at the CCRA and provided results to contribute to the planning stage of AR&R. We identified environmental management programs, such as paper, as SD issues for inclusion in the AR&R process. A large forum is scheduled for April 2001 for FAB managers from across the country to discuss AR&R issues. SD will be included as a topic of discussion for one of the forum's several focus group discussions. During the next period, we will continue to work on developing our systems to employ best practices for managing our environmental issues.

Among corporate initiatives, the Public Affairs Branch included environmental considerations in its creative communications process to increase the use of electronic communication instead of paper. The Human Resources Branch included environmental competencies in certain FAB job descriptions, as well as responsibility for natural resource and assets of national interest in the proposed Agency Classification Standard. Within FAB the Publishing Directorate's electronic communication promotion made 70% of all forms and publications available on the Internet/intranet. The Information Management Directorate included SD considerations in its Information Management Policy that articulates the CCRA's commitment to doing business electronically and using technology to enhance information program and service delivery to the public.

Program branches have also contributed in this area. The Assessment and Collections Branch included SD considerations in its cost/benefit analysis for several new projects. One of its directorates promoted telework as an effective alternative form of work arrangement, while commitments to SD were incorporated into the Benefit Programs Directorate internal planning process. Through its Service Strategy Paper, the Revenue Collections Directorate outlined its proposed direction for the next eight years and emphasized the use of electronic delivery options to significantly reduce paper use. Results showed that during 2000-2001, 17% of Children's Special Allowances were electronically enrolled, with 67% of this amount processed automatically by the system.

The Compliance Programs Branch worked with and negotiated a memorandum of understanding with Environment Canada to strengthen the enforcement of environmental protection laws and regulations. The Customs Branch developed an action plan document called Investing in the Future that confirms and articulates its responsibility to incorporate the principles of SD in implementing its action plan initiatives.

The Policy and Legislation Branch strategically moved its centre for SD responsibility to the Planning and Management Services Division to ensure SD integration in branch planning and reporting activities. Both its Business Development Strategy and the Future Service Management Framework documents will include SD considerations. The Charities Directorate made valuable input in the Charities Registration Act that was introduced to the House of Commons on March 15, 2001. The proposed legislation provides authority to the Solicitor General and the Minister of National Revenue to disqualify charitable organizations suspected of illegal activities or connections. This will contribute to safe and sustainable communities.

Goal 3: Reducing the impact of CCRA operations on the environment

What is the issue?

The federal government exerts tremendous impact on the environment through its activities and operations. The CCRA is one of the largest organizations in the federal community, and while environmental impacts of its individual operations are not large, it has a significant role to play in helping the federal government reduce the negative impact of operations on the environment.

Our broad objectives for Goal 3 were to: promote pollution prevention related to solid waste, storage tanks, hazardous/toxic substances and wastes, ozone depleting substances, emissions; promote efficient use of resources (energy, water, and paper); and enhance the management of existing environmental liabilities and reduce the potential for future risks.

What are the legislated requirements or best practices?

In 1995, all federal departments and agencies signed the Guide to Green Government, the federal policy for greening government operations. This included the commitment to: meet or exceed federal legislation; emulate best practices from the public and private sector; and develop and implement an environmental management system (EMS) for significant environmental aspects.

The ISO 14001 standard is the generally accepted benchmark against which the EMS is assessed by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Best practices for reducing the impact of our operations on the environment involve obtaining baseline information, setting targets, providing training where necessary, communicating planned objectives, measuring and monitoring results, reporting progress, and taking corrective action.

What are the constraints?

In working towards this goal, we have met many challenges. Some, like communications and co-ordination, are directly related to the size and decentralization of our organization. Others, like performance measurement and credible reporting, are related to the rigor with which we manage our environmental issues.

Goal 3: For 2000-2001, there were 12 targets scheduled for completion. Of that number, we completed five, while the others were in progress.

For the period, we said we would:

Develop and implement solid waste management strategies and plans for priority custodial facilities

The aim of this initiative is to divert the amount of solid waste deposited into landfill sites from priority owned facilities. We committed to divert 50% of waste at priority owned facilities by March 2003, and to working with custodians to divert 70% of waste in priority leased facilities by March 2004. Audits were conducted at five owned facilities during the previous period, and waste reduction action plans and monitoring systems were implemented between March and November 2000. Follow-up audits were scheduled to be conducted a year after the waste management plans were in effect. However due to resource constraints and other factors, audits were not executed as planned. Consequently, no data on the performance of these plans is currently available.

During this reporting period, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) was contracted to conduct waste audits on six additional owned sites. Reports and work plans were prepared, and implementation of the waste reduction action plans began. At the end of the period, investigations confirmed implementation at two locations (Carway, Alberta, and Emerson, Manitoba); one location (Andover, New Brunswick) did not implement its plan because the facility was slated for redevelopment; and of the two locations in Quebec, one confirmed implementation and the other is yet to begin. The remaining facility in British Columbia is scheduled to implement its waste reduction plan in May 2001.

Although we had no specific commitment in the SD strategy to implement solid waste recycling in leased facilities, we worked with our service provider to implement the program where the opportunity existed. This was done in one leased location within the National Capital Region (NCR). Voluntary recycling is practised in 19 of the remaining 20 leased NCR locations. We will continue to work with service providers to increase participation in this program. We currently do not have information on the level of participation in this program across the CCRA; however, we have plans to conduct a survey to capture this information in the future.

Increase green procurement by 5% by 2001, using 1999 figures as baselines

As outlined in the previous performance report, progress on this commitment was delayed pending a federal consensus on a definition of "greener procurement." During the development of our new SD strategy, we redefined our target for greener procurement. This will now be addressed through the development of an Environmental Management Program (EMP) for greener procurement, targeted for March 31, 2002.

In the meantime, branches and regions have started the practice of procuring environmentally friendly products such as recycled paper and toner cartridges, buying products with bulk packaging, including "green" provision in purchasing contracts, as well as purchasing uniforms made from durable materials. The Materiel Management Directorate made available to all branches and regions links to green procurement Web sites in the Finance and Administration Manual. One such site is the Green Procurement Network maintained by PWGSC. This site provides federal employees with a guide to green procurement.

Upgrade registered storage tanks

The Canadian Environment Protection Act (CEPA) requires that all outdoor above-ground tanks and tanks systems that have a single or total capacity of more than 4,000 litres (and all underground tanks containing petroleum products or allied petroleum products located on federal and Aboriginal lands) be registered.

Under the direction of the Board of Management, an aggressive storage tank compliance and decommissioning program was conducted during the period. The exercise was extended to all registered CCRA tank systems, including those with a capacity of less than 4,000 litres. As part of the program, we removed 6 above-ground and 22 underground storage tank systems. This exercise brought all our registered tanks into compliance with federal regulations, thereby significantly reducing the risk of soil and groundwater contamination from petroleum spills.

Develop and implement management plans to reduce paper consumption

Given the size of our organization and the nature of our work, paper use has always been a significant issue. This was further confirmed during the consultation process for the 2001-2004 SD strategy, where paper was identified as a significant environmental aspect. We committed to reducing our internal use of paper by 5% to 10% by March 2001. We quickly realized that we did not have a system in place to capture information on paper use that would satisfy our analytical needs. To begin addressing this challenge, a consultant was hired in August 2000 to assess our paper practices, develop a paper policy, and recommend best practices to govern our internal use of paper.

The analysis of paper practices revealed, among other things, that while the Materiel Management Directorate is responsible for training and procurement policies, it did not participate in the decision-making process for paper selection. The key recommendations included:

To start the process, a General Ledger account was created in the Corporate Administration System (CAS) to track the use of printer, photocopier, and legal pad paper. The paper policy drafted by the consultant articulated the CCRA's commitment to reducing paper consumption by setting standards and best practices for reducing paper use. Further consultations will finalize the policy and develop the systems necessary to implement the determined best practices. Developing and implementing an EMP for paper will also serve to further manage this aspect of our operations.

Meanwhile, we took action to reduce paper use and received strong messages about this from senior management. To lead the charge, the Board of Management made a directive for electronic dissemination of Board meeting documents. Branches also reported several initiatives to reduce paper use, including increased electronic access to and processing of forms, conversion to electronic filing, increased use of electronic learning options for staff, and increased use of double-sided printing. Although we have yet to capture total figures for the CCRA on paper saved, we have some success stories:

Develop and implement energy management plans for priority custodial facilities

In the previous report, we said that we approached Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to investigate the use of Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs) for our owned facilities. However, our progress on this commitment was delayed in 2000-2001 as we proceeded with feasibility studies and environmental site assessments for most of our custodial facilities. The results of these studies will be used to analyze and rank the facilities targeted for investment over the next 5 to 10 years. This will be outlined in a Long Term Facilities Investment Plan (LTFIP). With the LTFIP as a guide, we will be able perform energy and water improvements on those sites not slated for early replacement.

We also examined the potential for using renewable energy sources for our major capital construction projects. One initiative taken toward this objective was developing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the CCRA and NRCan. The MOA will document the process, progress, and success of the Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) system that will be installed at the Osoyoos, British Columbia/ Orville, Washington, ports of entry. The MOA is scheduled to be signed in May 2001. The main objective of this innovative, energy-efficient project is to develop a decision-making model that will document the step-by-step approach taken by the CCRA to implement the GSHP. This can be used to help others make decisions on implementing a renewable energy system. The model will be used as a template for replication in other port facilities, where possible. We will continue collaborating with NRCan to implement the deliverables of the MOA.

Another important initiative was the development of a blueprint design for remote border crossing ports by the Capital Construction Division in FAB. This Remote Profile Port Template can accommodate two to four customs officers. The design will produce a cost efficient, environmentally green building that is highly sustainable, adaptable for expansion to meet future operational requirements, and can integrate the use of renewable energy source, where possible. The design is also geared to increase energy efficiency by up to 50%. Work will continue to document best practices and success stories for these facilities as they are constructed. We will also work to ensure that the option of using renewable energy source is integrated into requests for proposals for project architects and engineers for other capital construction projects, where possible.

The Federal House in Order Initiative on Climate Change was established to address the issue of reducing GHG emissions resulting from federal government operations. We are represented on both the Director General Co-ordinating Committee and the Outside Emissions Working Group. During the period, we participated in promoting activities like Commuter Challenge and supported work to advance the approval of the ECOPASS program. ECOPASS seeks to provide employees with the option of purchasing annual bus passes through monthly payroll deduction at a discounted rate.

Although we have promoted energy efficient practices among staff, we have no way of measuring efficiency gains. We will begin to address this with the development of an EMP for energy. This will enable us to establish a baseline figure for energy use and to monitor changes over time. Initiatives such as the Information Technology Branch's retrofitting of its mainframe computers (that resulted in $250K in annual savings) and retrofitting the lighting fixtures in the Saskatoon TSO have resulted in financial savings and reduced environmental impacts. The Pacific Regional Office worked with British Columbia Hydro to promote an organic recycling program among staff and to educate them on the benefits of participating in the program. Within the Southern Ontario Region, the Hamilton TSO began plans to construct a building to house all its offices. It integrated the principles of sustainability in the building design. Sustainable principles such as optimal management of indoor air quality and efficient energy use were outlined in the technical specifications. Emphasis was also placed on optimal space design, alternate work environment initiatives, and telework. Construction for this project will begin in November 2001.

Develop and implement water management strategies and plans at priority custodial facilities

The issue of water falls into two categories-water conservation and water quality management. Water conservation strategies and action plans will be developed in conjunction with energy efficiency strategies and will follow the procedures and timeline previously outlined.

We focused our efforts on managing water quality, an emerging national issue. We conducted preliminary assessments at the 85 CCRA custodial sites supplied with non-municipal water, the vast majority of which use wells. The results revealed that eight sites in the Atlantic Region required immediate attention. We responded by implementing corrective measures to improve water quality at these sites. Lessons learned from this first round of testing helped us develop a National Clean Water Strategy. The strategy includes a Potable Water Risk Assessment Plan, which outlines our program to assess, correct, and maintain potable water quality at all 85 sites. The Plan will be implemented over the 2001-2003 period. Our first step for 2001-2002 will be to begin more detailed tests on all 85 sites to make sure we prioritize our interventions on the basis of risk to health.

Ensure compliance with federal statutes and regulations

Alternative Fuels Act: Compliance with the Alternative Fuels Act was exceeded, as 31 alternative fuels vehicles were purchased/leased instead of the projected 7. Based on the CCRA's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Fleet Report for 2000-2001, fleet GHG emissions were reduced by 15% in relation to the baseline figures for 1998-1999. This reduction is the result of using alternative fuels and a 17% decline in average annual travel over the last three years.

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA): The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act requires that an environmental assessment (EA) be conducted for projects involving the federal government early in the planning stages. By identifying adverse environmental effects before they occur, EAs allow decision-makers to modify plans so that the effects can be minimized or eliminated.

Compliance with the CEAA was respected, with an environmental assessment conducted on the construction projects to replace the Canada-U.S. border crossing facility at Little Gold, Yukon, and Osoyoos, British Columbia. EAs were also conducted on 16 petroleum storage tanks to help guide their removal.

Registration of storage tanks (RST): The storage tank decommissioning exercise previously explained in this report contributed to the CCRA's compliance with RST regulations.

Ozone depleting substances (ODS) and halocarbons regulations: The CCRA is required to develop an inventory of ODS containing equipment and replace this equipment with acceptable alternatives. We began work toward compliance. Progress is outlined further in this report.

Develop and implement an action plan to manage risks associated with hazardous materials

The CCRA's internal hazardous materials and wastes issues are not significant and mainly involve the use and disposal of chemicals, which are managed in Headquarters by the Laboratory and Scientific Services Directorate (LSSD). Safety issues related to office supplies and equipment are managed through the Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS).

The LSSD reviewed its management of hazardous materials and made appropriate adjustments to its Safety and Health Manual. Both this manual and its Emergency Preparedness Plan establish procedures for reducing pollution and conserving resources. An EMP to address all areas of managing hazardous materials and wastes will be developed.

Develop and implement action plan for priority contaminated sites

Treasury Board draft policies require that departments keep and input appropriate data on suspected or contaminated sites in their custody in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory. An environmental assessment (EA)is a systematic, three-phase process that evaluates whether a property is or may be subject to actual or potential contamination that may pose a threat to human health or the environment. A Phase I EA involves collecting all available environmental data, past and present, to get a preliminary indication of potential environmental contamination. It may conclude that no further work is required or recommend that further assessment be completed.

During the period, we completed evaluations and clean-ups of sites across the country. We assessed all custodial sites that we suspected were contamination by petroleum storage tanks. We conducted environmental audits and Phase I EAs at 10 sites in the Pacific Region and Phase I EAs on 16 sites in the Prairie Region. Phase II environmental investigations were done at 25 sites across the country. No further work was recommended at 14 of these sites due to a lack of contamination. However, remediation work was done at four sites.

Another 77 sites will undergo Phase I EAs, and 1 site is scheduled for remediation during the next period. We will develop an EMP for contaminated sites by the end of March 2002.

Develop and implement ODS management plans for priority custodial facilities: Develop an inventory of ODS containing equipment in owned facilities; Phase-out use of halon in Crown-owned facilities

Scientists attribute the reduction of stratospheric ozone to the use of halocarbons, which include ozone depleting substances (ODS) and halons. Most halocarbons used within federal facilities come from air conditioning, refrigeration and fire protection systems, and extinguishers.

We contracted PWGSC to compile an inventory of halocarbons and complete a compliance assessment in the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, and Prairie regions. Inventories were compiled and action plans for priority issues developed. The assessments have so far revealed that no halon is present at these custodial sites. However, we are waiting for an assessment of sites in the Pacific Region before we make a final determination of the incidence of halon within our custodial facilities. PWGSC keeps an inventory of tenant-owned halon systems in PWGSC buildings. The CCRA will continue to work with PWGSC to have halon systems replaced in leased facilities during implementation of the new SD strategy for 2001-2004.

1 This figure excludes the amount collected at two locations where the money was forwarded to Tree Canada before the total was ascertained.

2 The National EMS Committee consists of representatives of the Finance and Administration Branch and the regions. As the system develops, we will extend membership to other branches.

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