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Program directory · Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Marine Environmental and Hazards Response

Program code
BTI02 (FO)
Core responsibility
Marine Operations and Response
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2025-26 · Appeared and later dropped

What it does

The CCG is the lead federal incident commander responsible for ensuring an appropriate response to all ship-source and mystery pollution spills in Canadian waters and waters under international agreements. The Marine Environmental and Hazards Response (MEHR) program aims to minimize the environmental, economic, and public safety impacts of marine pollution incidents. The program establishes appropriate, risk-based preparedness and response services in Canadian waters; monitors and investigates all reports of marine pollution in Canada in conjunction with other federal departments; and maintains communications with the program’s partners, including TC and ECCC, to ensure a consistent, coordinated approach in response to marine pollution incidents.

The Coast Guard's Fleet Operational Readiness and Integrated Technical Services programs contribute to the delivery of the program. MEHR coordinates with other federal departments for surveillance information and scientific advice. It also works closely with ship owners, commercial Response Organizations, and Indigenous communities in preparedness and response activities

The program’s legal basis derives from the Oceans Act, the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, and the Marine Liability Act. The program is also a key component in fulfilling Canada's obligations under international laws and agreements, including the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-28Marine Environmental and Hazards Response 2018-19: $58.8MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2019-20: $47.3MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2020-21: $61.1MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2021-22: $91.4MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2022-23: $97.6MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2023-24: $86.2MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2024-25: $104MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2025-26: $95.6MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2026-27: $84.4MMarine Environmental and Hazards Response 2027-28: $54.3MMarine Environmental and Hazards ResponseEnvironmental ResponseMarine Environmental and H…
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data. The line at the bottom shows this program's names over time.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Marine Environmental and Hazards ResponseThis program2018-19 – 2027-28$546M

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2020-21Spending $61.1M, against $47.3M in 2019-20 (+29%).Actual spending (GC InfoBase)
2021-22Employees (FTEs) 347, against 229 in 2020-21 (+52%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2021-22Spending $91.4M, against $61.1M in 2020-21 (+50%).Actual spending (GC InfoBase)
2024-25Renamed from “Environmental Response” to “Marine Environmental and Hazards Response”.GC InfoBase program names by year
2027-28Planned employees (FTEs) 252, against 321 in 2026-27 (−21%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2027-28Planned spending $54.3M, against $84.4M in 2026-27 (−36%).Latest Departmental Plan

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

% of responses to environmental incidents that meet established standards
Expected result: Canadian Coast Guard has the capability to respond to ship-source and mystery-source marine pollution incidents
100%2018-19✓ met100%2019-20✓ met100%2020-21✓ met100%2021-22✓ met100%2022-23✓ met100%2023-24✓ met100%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19100% – 100%2019100%Met
2019-20100% – 100%2020100%Met
2020-21100% – 100%2021100%Met
2021-22100% – 100%2022100%Met
2022-23100% – 100%2023100%Met
2023-24100% – 100%2024100%Met
2024-25100% – 100%2025100%Met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $54.4M2018-19: $58.8M2018-192019-20: $38.7M2019-20: $47.3M2019-202020-21: $82.1M2020-21: $61.1M2020-212021-22: $90.8M2021-22: $91.4M2021-222022-23: $98M2022-23: $97.6M2022-232023-24: $126M2023-24: $86.2M2023-242024-25: $122M2024-25: $104M2024-252025-26: $95.6M2025-262026-27: $84.4M2026-272027-28: $54.3M2027-28
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$54.4M$58.8M
2019-20$38.7M$47.3M
2020-21$82.1M$61.1M
2021-22$90.8M$91.4M
2022-23$98M$97.6M
2023-24$126M$86.2M
2024-25$122M$104M
2025-26$95.6M—
2026-27$84.4M*—
2027-28$54.3M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 2262018-19: 2192018-192019-20: 2302019-20: 2102019-202020-21: 3382020-21: 2292020-212021-22: 3162021-22: 3472021-222022-23: 2922022-23: 3372022-232023-24: 4512023-24: 3412023-242024-25: 4392024-25: 3362024-252025-26: 3262025-262026-27: 3212026-272027-28: 2522027-28
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19226219
2019-20230210
2020-21338229
2021-22316347
2022-23292337
2023-24451341
2024-25439336
2025-26326—
2026-27321*—
2027-28252*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.