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Certification

Last updated on September 24, 2025

Under the Environmental Management Act (EMA), a site may be certified as:

  • Contaminated
  • Not contaminated
  • In the process of remediation, or
  • Remediated

A certification document may be useful if you need help getting financing for a site, want to improve its marketability, or need to remove municipal permitting restrictions.

Contaminated sites may be certified to numerical or risk-based remediation standards. This ensures that it is safe for human health and the environment.

On this page

Determine which certification you need

To confirm if your site is contaminated or not

Apply for a Determination

You can apply for a positive determination if concentrations of substances at your site exceed the applicable numerical standards.

You can apply for a negative determination if concentrations of substances at your site are less than or equal to the applicable numerical standards of the CSR.

Read legislation

If you have a remediation plan 

Apply for an Approval in Principle

An Approval in Principle (AiP) is a document that:

  • Certifies the ministry has reviewed a remediation plan for a contaminated site and implementation of the plan has been approved in accordance with the conditions listed in the AiP
  • May authorize any necessary waste discharges that are related to a remediation plan

Both numerical and risk-based standards may be used in remediation plans approved under an AiP. 

When to apply

Apply for this certification if:

  • You have a remediation plan for your site that was developed by a qualified professional
  • You plan to apply for a Certificate of Compliance after meeting the conditions of the AiP

Information for qualified professionals

Remediation plans are expected to include full delineation - horizontal and vertical - of contamination at a site (i.e. a complete detailed site investigation). The director may approve provisions for limited supplementary investigation as part of the remediation plan, for example when:

  • There is a reasonable business case to delay delineation, such as maintaining an onsite revenue earning business, or a multi-phased development
  • Site access is limited because of municipal demolition permit restrictions relating to onsite heritage buildings or multi-residential structures
  • Funding from a lender must be secured prior to the start of a development project

All supplementary investigations to identify the full extent of contamination and all planned remediation must be completed according to an approved schedule. The director may impose requirements within an AiP to ensure compliance.

Once remediation is complete, and the conditions of the AiP are met, a Certificate of Compliance is recommended and may be required by lenders for financing or by a municipality for final permitting (occupancy). 

Read legislation

If contamination at your site meets risk-based or numerical standards after remediation 

Apply for a Certificate of Compliance

A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is a document that certifies satisfactory remediation of concentrations of substances at your site to concentrations that meet either the numerical or risk-based standards of the CSR after remediation. 

When to apply

Apply for this type of certification if:

  • Your site is cleaned up and no contamination remains for the land, water, soil vapour and sediment use
  • Contamination that remains on the site is safe for human health and the environment. In this case, the conditions of the CoC may require the site owner to restrict land use or activities or to contain, control and monitor substances remaining on-site. 

Information for qualified professionals

For a risk-based CoC, you may need to help a site owner or operator develop a Performance Verification Plan. This plan shows which risk controls will be implemented to meet risk-based standards. In some cases, financial security or a restrictive covenant may be required before a site owner receives a CoC. 

Read legislation

How to get a certification

The director may issue certification documents for both high risk and non-high risk sites:

Note: You may need preapproval from the ministry to support your application submitted through the Contaminated Sites Approved Professional Society.

OR

  • For most high risk sites, you must apply directly to the ministry

Review Apply for services for further instructions.

Information for qualified professionals

If you are a qualified professional, find instructions for preparing applications for contaminated sites legal documents, preapprovals and creating drafts and cover letters.

The information on this web page does not replace the legislative requirements in the EMA or its regulations and it does not list all provisions for contaminated site services.

If there are differences between this information and the Act, Regulation, or Protocols, the Act, Regulation, and Protocols apply.