The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) was introduced in 2006 and consists of various initiatives that aim to quantify and reduce the risk that chemical substances pose to human and environmental health. A key aspect of CMP is ongoing environmental monitoring of Canadian freshwater systems, including the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and other significant lakes and rivers nationally. Pursuant to this, environmental levels of CMP priority substances in sediment are continually assessed, and the resulting data will be added to this Open Data directory continually. This data allows for the determination of long-term trends and spatial distribution of contaminants in sediment, the evaluation of risk management measure efficacy, and assessment of compliance with sediment quality objectives. Please note that Great Lakes data informing CMP initiatives are stored in a distinct Open Data directory (https://data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca/data/substances/monitor/great-lakes-water-quality-monitoring-and-aquatic-ecosystem-health-data/).
Per Annex 3 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), a national sediment bank is maintained by ECCC to allow for the retrospective analysis of contaminants as new technologies and priority substances emerge. Portions of banked sediment samples may be requested for collaborative research, subject to an evaluation of the proposed research and quantity of material available. For inquiries or requests related to banked sediment, please contact tim.pascoe@ec.gc.ca.