Environmental geoscience research at the Geological Survey of Canada.

For almost two decades, the Geological Survey of Canada has been working to understand the effects of geological resource development on the environment. This research is supported by the Environmental Geoscience Program. The goal of this program is to provide leading-edge scientific information to differentiate the effects of natural resource development on the environment from those of natural processes. The development of new geoscientific approaches serves to support the responsible development and use of Canada's natural resources through informed decision-making.

In this presentation, we will take a brief look back at key past activities and focus on the series of new projects that have just begun.

From 2019 to 2024, the program conducted some 15 projects in the following five themes: Baseline Characterization, Cumulative Effects, Deep Environments, Emerging Issues and Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere. The range of projects included, among others, induced seismicity, oil sands, geological carbon sequestration and global mercury assessment with UNEP.

In its current phase (2024-2029), the program comprises a series of fourteen projects, divided into 4 themes: impact assessment, regional assessments, processes and characterization. Current projects include topics as varied as the national integration of groundwater knowledge, the use of clumped isotopes to characterize nuclear waste disposal sites, the study of metals in the environment of active metalliferous regions, or the study of aquifer contamination by legacy oil and gas wells on indigenous lands.

The vastness of the Canadian territory, combined with a resource-rich subsoil, provides the opportunity to carry out a multitude of geoenvironmental projects in support of sound environmental stewardship for the benefit of local communities.