Government of Canada navigation bar

Symbol of the Government of Canada

Primary site navigation bar

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Environmental Management
  4. Environmental Protection
  5. Environmental Monitoring and Oversight program

Environmental Monitoring and Oversight program

Transport Canada is responsible for a wide range of operations and over 700 properties, including owned and/or operated airports and ports. Operations include fleets of aircraft and vehicles, stores, warehouses and offices in central and remote sites across the country. Environmental Management makes sure Transport Canada manages its properties in an environmentally responsible manner. The monitoring of these sites is tracked through the National Environmental Management System.

The goals of our monitoring program are to make sure that:

  • Transport Canada complies with environmental laws and regulations;
  • our facilities follow federal government and Transport Canada policies and practices;
  • the environmental requirements in lease agreements with third parties are met; and
  • our operations follow good environmental practices.

Transport Canada continues to operate 18 airports and 67 ports, for which it is directly responsible for meeting all environmental laws. If a violation occurs, the department will receive a notice of non-compliance or be charged.

In addition to managing our own operations, Transport Canada also oversees the environmental management of leased facilities. In these cases, where Transport Canada plays the role of landlord, the department must ensure that the tenants meet all environmental requirements as set out in the lease agreements.

The Environmental Monitoring and Oversight program is carried out through site visits. These visits involve going through detailed checklists to make sure all environmental obligations are being met. The program monitors the effectiveness of activities such as:

  • environmental emergency response plans;
  • aircraft de-icing activities;
  • air quality and greenhouse gas emissions; and
  • related legal requirements.
Date modified:
2011-10-21