An environmental emergency is a sudden situation that requires an immediate response because it threatens, affects or is about to deteriorate the quality of water, air, soil, wildlife, wildlife habitats or the environment in which humans live.

The Urgence-Environnement team responds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in Québec, so that everything is done to minimize the consequences of an environmental disaster.

Contact the Urgence-Environnement team

Urgence-Environnement’s role

In Québec, municipalities are responsible for protecting citizens and property in their territory. To support them and ensure that all appropriate measures are taken promptly to protect the environment, Urgence-Environnement will intervene especially to:

  • Help limit the release of contaminants into the environment;
  • Participate in disaster prevention;
  • Ensure contaminant recovery.

In environmental emergency situations, Urgence-Environnement can take statements from those responsible regarding the accidental presence of a contaminant in the environment (such as a spill, leak, abnormal release, etc.).

It provides support to local response teams and only directs the work in special cases.

When the emergency is large scale and the Ministère de la Sécurité publique coordinates government operations, Urgence-Environnement partners with the Organisation de la sécurité civile du Québec. It also collaborates with regional civil protection organizations.

Specialized equipment

Urgence-Environnement has emergency vehicles and a mobile command post, which increases the effectiveness of on-site-responses. It collaborates with experts from the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs. Mobile laboratories, such as TAGA, a state-of-the-art air analysis tool, can be dispatched to the scene of an emergency if required.