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Executive Summary
This compendium of environmental quality benchmarks contributes to the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative (GBEI) - a federal-provincial partnership that provides tools, support and a broad framework for action towards long-term sustainability in the Georgia Basin.
Results of monitoring programs in the aquatic environment provide important information on environmental conditions, but such data cannot alone be used to determine if particular uses are being protected. For this reason, water quality, sediment quality, and tissue residue guidelines are basic tools in evaluating environmental conditions and for the development of focussed water management strategies. Ideally, Canadian or British Columbia benchmarks with which to compare environmental levels would be available for all monitored parameters and media. This is not the case, so interim guidance of available benchmarks developed by other jurisdictions was sought.
In response to this need for chemical benchmarks for assessing environmental conditions in the Fraser River Basin, Environment Canada commissioned the development of a compendium of guidelines in 1994. Under GBEI, the freshwater benchmarks contained in the 1994 volume were reviewed and updated, and the content was expanded to include marine and estuarine environmental quality benchmarks as well.
This is a compilation of environmental quality criteria, guidelines, objectives, and standards worldwide that will provide a comprehensive library of benchmarks for use in GBEI, Puget Sound and elsewhere. For application in GBEI, CCME or provincial guidelines or criteria will be applied. Where these are not available, benchmarks from other jurisdictions are presented for guidance, and possible application as “interim” levels. No attempt has been made to identify those benchmarks most applicable to conditions in the GBEI study area.
The document is divided into four sections: 1) An introductory portion, 2) tables of water quality benchmarks, 3) tables of sediment quality benchmarks and 4) tables of tissue residue guidelines.
