e-2327 (National defence and military operations)

National Defence is taking concrete steps to advance whole of Government efforts towards creating a clean environment. With the responsibility to manage more than two million hectares of land, thousands of buildings, jetties, and training areas, National Defence is central to the Government’s commitment to be a responsible steward of the environment. This includes remediating sites formerly impacted by military activities, and proactively mitigating the environmental impacts of its current military activities. 

National Defence has conducted extensive research since the 1980s into the use and testing of herbicides, including Agent Orange, to better understand the impact of their use at 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown (CFB Gagetown). This includes detailed investigations in 2005 and 2018 into the disposal of barrels of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown. Both investigations confirmed that no barrels of Agent Orange have been found.

Additionally, in 2005, National Defence, along with Veterans Affairs Canada, Health Canada, and various other departments and agencies, undertook a comprehensive fact-finding investigation to understand the health and environmental risks associated with the past use of registered and unregistered herbicides at CFB Gagetown. This comprehensive investigation included, among other tasks, conducting health risk assessments, tissue sampling of fish and clams from CFB Gagetown to test for dioxin concentrations, and compiling lists of individuals and units present when herbicides were tested in 1966 and 1967. Research for this investigation was conducted by highly-qualified, non-government experts, and was peer-reviewed by independent specialists in the field. 

This investigation concluded that, aside from the two instances of testing Agent Orange, Agent Purple, Agent White, and other herbicides by the U.S. military in 1966 and 1967, all herbicides used at CFB Gagetown were regulated and used in accordance with all federal and provincial regulations and scientific policies at the time. 

Furthermore, human health risk assessments conducted as a part of the 2005 investigation concluded that most people who lived and worked at or near CFB Gagetown were not at risk of exposure to herbicides. Potential long-term health risks were identified as a possibility only for those individuals directly involved with the application of the herbicides or brush clearings soon after application. As compensation for possible exposure to unregistered U.S. herbicides between 1966 and 1967, in 2007 the Government of Canada provided eligible individuals with a one-time, tax-free ex gratia payment of $20,000.   

As part of its vegetation management program, CFB Gagetown continues to use herbicides for the purposes of maintaining visibility of targets, access to roads, protecting against wildland fires, and the clearance of unexploded ordinance. This program is critical to ensuring that training areas remain safe and available for military training and related activities. 

National Defence has implemented rigorous controls and regularly reviewed oversight of its vegetation management program. To ensure compliance with the most effective and environmentally responsible practices, National Defence will continue to work closely with relevant authorities, including the New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government, the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development, the Canadian Forest Service, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

National Defence will continue to be a responsible steward of federal lands by protecting land and complying with environmental practices. Given the extensive research and investigations National Defence has already conducted on the use and testing of herbicides at CFB Gagetown, National Defence does not have any plans to conduct further inquiries at this time.