Meteorological support in environmental emergencies

Part of Environment Canada's role is to provide expert advice for the preparation, response and recovery from many types of environmental emergencies. This is done through our Environmental Emergencies Program. 

Environment Canada's Meteorological Service actively supports this program through its Storm Prediction Centres, by offering real-time advice on current and forecast weather conditions at the site of an environmental emergency.

In addition to this, the Environmental Emergency Response Section (EERS) of Environment Canada offers specialized advice and sophisticated modeling in order to track hazardous material that ends up in the air. These emergencies can range from accidental spills of hazardous materials at chemical plants, to volcanic eruptions or nuclear incidents. The wind plays an important role in trying to track the movement of the material as it travels in the atmosphere, as well as how much of it may fall to the ground (this is known as ground deposition).

Knowing how hazardous material will move through the air can be critical information for local authorities. This allows them to make appropriate decisions in response to incidents. The modeling and advisory services offered by the EERS are also provided at the national and international levels.

For a more detailed explanation of these services, please visit Environment Canada’s Environmental Emergency Response Section.

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