Companies have the option of applying for a limited or site-based remediation certificate after cleaning up contamination on their sites. The regulatory closure of remediation certificates provides assurance to site owners, managers, and stakeholders that the contamination has been remediated to the Alberta Tier 1 or Tier 2 Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines.
If you have assessed your area of land or site it meets Alberta Tier 2 guidelines, and remediation is not required, you may apply for a Tier 2 compliance letter. This letter does not provide the protective regulatory closure of a remediation certificate, but it does provide administrative closure by confirming that no further work is required to meet Alberta Tier 2 objectives.
Unlike reclamation certificates, applying for a remediation certificate or Tier 2 compliance letter is voluntary.
Land that has received a reclamation certificate does not automatically qualify for a remediation certificate or Tier 2 compliance letter.
Further information is provided in Manual 021: Contamination Management, section 11.
Application Process
Submit an application
The Remediation Regulation specifies the elements that must be included in applications for closure; all applications and supporting professional reports must be submitted to the AER through a OneStop Record of Site Condition.
We do not charge an application fee for any of the contamination closure options.
All Albertans are encouraged to participate in the discussion about energy development, and affected persons have the opportunity to express a concern about an energy development or activity. When an energy company intends to apply for closure, the AER expects the applicant to provide evidence that relevant stakeholders have been notified. The notification should also include the location of the site that is the subject of the application, a brief explanation of the type of application being submitted, and a summary of the current environmental condition of the site.
Remediation Certificates
On an interim basis, the AER requires applicants to include a completed Alberta Environment & Protected Areas (AEPA) application form for either a limited remediation certificate or site-based remediation certificate. Applicants should consult the associated AEPA guides for additional help in completing the applications. The application forms and guides can be accessed below:
Tier 2 Compliance Letters
The Remediation Regulation specifies the elements that must be included in an application:
- Phase 1 and Phase 2 ESAs that meet the requirements of the Environmental Site Assessment Standard, including contamination delineation
- An assessment of risk and supporting documents in accordance with Alberta Tier 2 guidelines, including the following:
- potential human health and environmental risks on and off site for all substances
- procedures, including monitoring results, to justify assumptions within the risk assessment
- that no remediation is or was required to meet Alberta Tier 2 guidelines
- A scaled map that clearly defines the location of the site or area of land and includes the following:
- the plan, block, lot, or Alberta Township System legal land description with GPS coordinates (NAD83) or legal survey
- if more than one property is involved, the addresses for the source properties that were the original sources of contamination must be listed and any other affected adjacent lands.
These elements must be submitted with a OneStop Record of Site Condition to be eligible for a Tier 2 compliance letter. There is no separate application form required for this closure option.
Refer to Manual 021: Contamination Management for further information. AEPA’s Alberta Tier 2 Compliance Letter Guide has additional information on what an application is to include.
Review Process
- We share all closure applications on our Public Notice of Application page to encourage public participation in the approval process.
- Anyone who believes they may be directly and adversely affected by an application can file a statement of concern (SOC). If we receive an SOC, it may take us longer to process the application.
- For remediation certificate applications only, once we make a decision, we will post a notice on our Publication of Decision page. The remediation certificate and supporting documentation will be made available through our Products and Services Catalogue.
Our decisions on remediation certificates are subject to our regulatory appeal process. An eligible person, as defined under section 36 of the Responsible Energy Development Act, may file a request for a regulatory appeal.
Regular Audits
We audit varying numbers of applications each year to confirm that the remediation certificate applications were complete, and that the submitted documentation indicates remediation success. A remediation certificate may be cancelled based on a substantiated complaint or the results of an audit.
Contact Us
For questions about contamination closure applications, please contact our Customer Contact Centre.
