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Develop a joint decision-making framework (federal-provincial) for the management of sites with contaminated sediment

Context and project description

To some extent, this project represents the finality of many PASL's projects concerning the management of contaminated sediment. It consists of providing specialists with a tool for making informed decisions regarding the solutions to implement in order to manage the St. Lawrence sites with contaminated sediment. This tool will consist of a decision-making framework that will help define the problems associated to one or more sediment accumulation sites in both fresh water and sea water. The framework will incorporate the relevant technical, regulatory, environmental and socioeconomic elements for decision-making.

To create their tool, the partners will form a working group that will take their inspiration from various decision-making frameworks used elsewhere in the world for managing sites with contaminated sediment. By using the best elements of existing frameworks and personalizing them for the St. Lawrence – fresh water and salt water – the group will propose a preliminary framework, which will then be adjusted in light of the two other SLAP projects related to sites with contaminated sediment, and then adopted as a final decision-making framework.

Results

As planned, a preliminary decision-making framework has been prepared, but in light of certain recent changes, particularly those affecting federal environmental regulations, the project has been re-examined. It is now under the responsibility of the Committee on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments (CIMDS). During the 2016–2021 phase, the committee will be in charge of designing a decision support tool that will take actual needs into account.

Participating departments

Government of Canada

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Public Works and Government Services Canada

Government of Quebec

  • Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques