EBI (a division of the Energy Probe Research Foundation) has updated a key section of its Citizens Guide to Environmental Investigation and Private Prosecution. The online guide now includes the latest benchmarks for water quality, sediment quality, and soil quality. The benchmarks for hundreds of substances are broken down by type of water (surface or ground) and by water use (residential, agricultural, industrial, etc.). Compiling provincial and federal objectives, guidelines, and standards in one place will make it easier for members of the public to determine whether contaminants in their communities exceed acceptable limits – information that is essential when confronting polluters, addressing the press, or persuading regulators to take action.

For more information, see Tables 1, 2, and 3 in Appendix D: Pollution Standards.