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Toxic PFAS Pollution in Canada: A Growing Concern
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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have become a significant environmental and health concern in recent years. These “forever chemicals” are highly persistent in the environment and have been found in water, soil, and air samples around the world. In Canada, PFAS pollution on military bases and airports has raised serious concerns about the potential risks to human health and the environment.
Understanding PFAS and Their Persistence
PFAS is a group of chemicals that includes at least 4,700 different substances. They are known for their heat resistance, water repellency, and durability, which have made them widely used in various industries and consumer products. For decades, PFAS-containing firefighting foam has been used to tackle fuel fires at airports and military bases.
The persistence of PFAS is a significant concern. These chemicals do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in soil, water, and living organisms. Some PFAS can transform into even more hazardous forms through biological processes, further exacerbating the problem.
PFAS Contamination in Canada and Lack of Transparency
While the extent of PFAS contamination in Canada is not yet fully known, there is a lack of transparency regarding location-specific information and public access to data. Unlike the United States, where estimates suggest over 110 million Americans may have contaminated drinking water, Canada lacks similar estimates and comprehensive monitoring programs.
The absence of an action plan to prevent or mitigate contamination and protect Canadians from the vast number of PFAS compounds in use is a growing concern. The Canadian government needs to address this issue promptly to safeguard public health and the environment.
Regulation of PFAS in Canada
In 2015, three PFAS chemicals were designated as Chemicals of Mutual Concern (CMCs) in the Great Lakes Basin due to their impact on wildlife. However, the designation only includes a limited number of PFAS compounds, leaving out the majority of the 4,700 known PFAS substances on the market.
While some long-chain PFAS are listed as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), exemptions still allow their use in firefighting foam, military vessels, and chrome plating. Moreover, most PFAS compounds on the market have little to no regulation or restriction in Canada.
The use of shorter-chain PFAS as substitutes for the phased-out long-chain compounds raises concerns. Scientific research suggests that these shorter-chain PFAS may pose even greater risks to human health and the environment. The lack of data and regulation for these compounds highlights the need for comprehensive assessment and management of all PFAS in commercial products.
PFAS and Consumer Products
The presence of PFAS in consumer products is a growing concern. The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) aims to protect the public from the dangers posed by consumer products, including imported goods. However, compliance with safety regulations is not required before selling a product in Canada, contributing to the potential exposure to PFAS in cosmetics and other consumer goods.
Endocrine disruptors, including PFAS, have been identified as particularly dangerous, with reproductive, developmental, and cognitive disorders associated with exposure to these substances. The lack of full information about the characteristics and effects of chemical substances used in some cosmetics and consumer products poses risks to human health.
To protect consumers, there is a need for the identification and restriction of PFAS in consumer products sold in Canada. Clear labeling and consumer information on products that may contain PFAS, including firefighting foam, textiles, and food packaging, should be a priority. Safer PFAS-free alternatives are available and should be promoted and utilized where possible.
Monitoring Programs and Public Access to Data
PFAS contamination near military bases and airports has been a significant source of concern. For example, PFAS contamination in the vicinity of the Canadian Forces Base North Bay has led to drinking water advisories and restrictions due to elevated PFAS levels. However, the lack of transparency and public access to monitoring results and other investigative reports is troubling.
Access to information regarding PFAS contamination and ongoing studies is essential for public awareness and accountability. The Canadian government should ensure timely release of monitoring results and make information readily available to affected communities and the general public.
Which Canadian Military bases and Airports are affected by PFAS contaminants?
The following map shows Canadian military and airport sites that are known or suspected to be contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Credit: https://cela.ca/
Contaminated Sites (Confirmed and Suspected)
| PROVINCE | TYPE | LOCATION |
| Alberta | (Airport) | Calgary International Former Fire Training Area |
| Alberta | (Airport) | Edmonton International Former Fire Training Area |
| Alberta | (Airport) | Fort McMurray |
| Alberta | (Military Base) | 4 Wing Cold Lake PFAS site-wide, 4 Wing Cold Lake |
| Alberta | (Military Base) | CFB Edmonton PFAS site-wide, 3 CDSB Edmonton |
| Alberta | (Military Base) | CFB Suffield PFAS site-wide, CFB Suffield |
| Alberta | (Military Base) | Wainwright PFAS site-wide, CFB Wainwright |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Abbotsford |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Cranbrook |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Penticton Former Fire Training Area |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Port Hardy Former Fire Training Area |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Prince George Fire Training Areas |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Sandspit Former Fire Training Area |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Victoria International Fire Training Area |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Victoria International PFAS Impacted Soil Stockpile |
| British Columbia | (Airport) | Williams Lake Former Fire Training Area |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | 19 Wing PFAS site-wide, 19 Wing Comox |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | Belmont Park PFAS, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | CFMETR PFAS, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | COL 4 Colwood fire fighting training area, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | Colwood PFAS 1, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | Dockyard PFAS, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | Mary Hill PFAS, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | PB-6 Pat Bay Hanger 17 Fmr POL shed/UST, CFB Esquimalt |
| British Columbia | (Military Base) | Rocky Pt PFAS, CFB Esquimalt |
| Manitoba | (Airport) | Churchill Land Treatment Unit (LTU) – Q Area Storage Tanks |
| Manitoba | (Airport) | The Pas |
| Manitoba | (Airport) | Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Former Fire Training Area |
| Manitoba | (Military Base) | 17 Wing Winnipeg PFAS site-wide, 17 Wing Winnipeg |
| Manitoba | (Military Base) | Fire fighting training area #2, CFB Shilo |
| Manitoba | (Military Base) | Fire fighting training area, CFB Shilo |
| Manitoba | (Military Base) | Fire Hall, B88, 17 Wing Winnipeg |
| Manitoba | (Military Base) | Inactive landfill, CFB Shilo |
| New Brunswick | (Airport) | Fredericton International Fire Training Area |
| New Brunswick | (Airport) | Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Fire Training Area |
| New Brunswick | (Airport) | Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Former Fire Training Area |
| New Brunswick | (Airport) | Saint John Former Fire Training Area |
| New Brunswick | (Military Base) | F Line buildings, 5 CDSB Gagetown |
| New Brunswick | (Military Base) | Fire fighting training area and adjacent swamp, 5 CDSB Gagetown |
| New Brunswick | (Military Base) | Fire hall, 5 CDSB Gagetown |
| New Brunswick | (Military Base) | POL Compound, 5 CDSB Gagetown |
| New Brunswick | (Military Base) | Tank wash, 5 CDSB Gagetown |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Airport) | St. Anthony Former Fire Training Area |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Airport) | Wabush Former Fire Training Area |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Airport) | Gander International Former Fire Training Area |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Airport) | St. John’s International Former Fire Training Area |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Military Base) | 9 Wing Gander PFAS site-wide, 9 Wing Gander |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | (Military Base) | Goose Bay PFAS site-wide, 5 Wing Goose Bay |
| Northwest Territories | (Airport) | 6 Fort Simpson Former Fire Training Area and LTU |
| Northwest Territories | (Airport) | 7 Inuvik Former Fire Training Area and LTU |
| Northwest Territories | (Airport) | Fort Smith |
| Northwest Territories | (Airport) | Hay River Former Fire Training Area and LTU |
| Nova Scotia | (Airport) | Halifax Stanfield International Former Fire Training Area |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | 12 Wing Shearwater PFAS site-wide, CFB Halifax |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | 14 Wing Greenwood PFAS site-wide, 14 Wing Greenwood |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | AFFF lagoon, 14 Wing Greenwood |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | CF Ammunition Depot Bedford PFAS site-wide, CFB Halifax |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | CFS Barrington, CFS Barrington |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | DCD School (907) – fire fighter training area, CFB Halifax |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | Former 11 Hgr AFFF discharge point, 14 Wing Greenwood |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | Former crash exercise at old picnic grounds,14 Wing Greenwood |
| Nova Scotia | (Military Base) | Historic ARFFV Maint. Testing Area, Juliette Taxiway/AMU Ram, 14 Wing Greenwood |
| Nunavut | (Airport) | 5 Resolute Bay Former Fire Training Area and LTU |
| Nunavut | (Airport) | Cambridge Bay Former Fire Training Area and LTU |
| Nunavut | (Airport) | Iqaluit |
| Nunavut | (Military Base) | Alert Airfield, CFS Alert |
| Nunavut | (Military Base) | Alert Main Station, CFS Alert |
| Ontario | (Airport) | Hamilton Off-Site |
| Ontario | (Airport) | London International Former Fire Training Area |
| Ontario | (Airport) | Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Former Fire Training Area |
| Ontario | (Airport) | Sault Ste. Marie Former Fire Training Area |
| Ontario | (Airport) | Thunder Bay International Former Fire Training Area (1 and 2) |
| Ontario | (Airport) | Thunder Bay International Former Fire Training Area (original) |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | 22 Wing PFAS monitoring, 22 Wing North Bay |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | 8 W fire fighting training area/hazardous materials storage, 8 Wing Trenton |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | 8 Wing PFAS site-wide, 8 Wing Trenton |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | EME Shop, Bldg 113 and skeet range, 8 Wing Trenton |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | Fire fighting training area #1, CFB Borden |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | Fire fighting training areas, 4 CDSB Petawawa |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | Fire Hall, Building 19, 8 Wing Trenton |
| Ontario | (Military Base) | Mtn View – inner landfill site, CFD Mountain View |
| Prince Edward Island | (Airport) | Charlottetown Fire Training Area |
| Prince Edward Island | (Airport) | Charlottetown Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Îles-de-la-Madeleine Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Kuujjuaq Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Montréal-Mirabel International Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Québec City Jean Lesage International Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Schefferville Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Airport) | Sept-Îles Former Fire Training Area |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Administrative Area – Domaine, Lozeau and Bougainville Islands, METC Nicolet |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | AFFF héliport, 2 CDSB Valcartier |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Cadet Camp-former dry material disposal site,3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Central heating plant, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Fire Hall, Building 85, , 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Firefighter training area, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Former gas station, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Former landfill site, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Landfarming site, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Marsh – North of Highway 170, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | Moras Island, METC Nicolet |
| Quebec | (Military Base) | POL tank farm, 3 Wing Bagotville |
| Saskatchewan | (Airport) | 16 Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker Former Fire Training Area North |
| Saskatchewan | (Airport) | 16 Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker Former Fire Training Area South |
| Saskatchewan | (Airport) | Regina International Fire Training Area |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | 15 Wing Former FFTA, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | 15 Wing landfill, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | 15 Wing Moose Jaw PFAS site-wide, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | Building 58 & EME Shop Test Site 2, 15 Wing, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | Det Dundurn fire fighter training area, Det Dundurn |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | Detachment Dundurn PFAS site-wide, Det Dundurn |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | Dundurn Fire Hall, Det Dundurn |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | EME Shop Test Site 1, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
| Saskatchewan | (Military Base) | Fire Hall Test Area 1, 15 Wing Moose Jaw |
The Urgent Need for Government Action
The Canadian government must take immediate action to address PFAS pollution on military bases and airports. This includes reviewing and removing existing exemptions for PFAS chemicals, preventing the use of regrettable substitutes, prioritizing assessment and management of all PFAS in commercial products, and considering a complete ban on PFAS chemicals.
An ambitious timeline should be established to phase out the use of PFAS in non-essential applications, similar to the approach taken by the European Commission. Additionally, regulations should be enacted to require clear labeling and consumer information on PFAS-containing products, while promoting the use of PFAS-free alternatives.
What Actions Can Victims of PFAS exposure on Military Bases and Airports Take?
Have you or a loved one lived or worked at a military base or airport anywhere in Canada and developed cancer or other serious illness?
We’re now finding that possibly millions of military service members, contractors, civilian workers, and their families were exposed to toxic chemicals at the bases where they lived or worked across all of Canada.
If you developed cancer, it very well may be related to your time at a military base or airport. You may qualify for substantial financial compensation via cash settlements. Take Action Now by using the 100% Secure claims form on this page, or call us directly toll free at 1-800-631-5656.
Conclusion
PFAS pollution on military bases and airports in Canada is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. The long-term persistence and potential health risks associated with these chemicals necessitate comprehensive monitoring programs, transparent access to data, and proactive regulatory measures. By taking decisive action, the Canadian government can protect public health, safeguard the environment, and ensure a safer future for all Canadians.
Keywords: PFAS pollution, military bases, airports, Canada, transparency, regulation, consumer products, monitoring programs, government action
Sources:
https://cela.ca/map-pfas-contamination-sites-in-airports-and-military-bases-in-canada/
PFAS Pollution on Military Bases & Airports in Canada post updated on September 20, 2023