Information for municipalities and approving authorities
Last updated on September 16, 2025
When an applicant with a commercial or industrial use site applies for zoning, subdivision, or development and building permits, they may need to submit a Site Disclosure Statement (SDS) to the municipality and/or approving officer.
The Environmental Management Act (EMA) and Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) assign administrative duties to municipalities and approving officers in relation to Site Disclosure Statements.
Before you start
Check your email
Approving authorities will receive an email titled "Task Assigned" each time an applicant submits a Site Disclosure Statement. The email contains a link to the Site Disclosure Statement in the SRS Web App.
Approving authorities must have a Business BCeID to access the web app. For more information about managing a Business BCeID, read the Business BCeID Profile and Account Management Guide.
To view the Site Disclosure Statement:
- Open the email titled "Task Assigned"
- Click on the provided link to open the Site Disclosure Statement in the SRS Web App
- Log into the app, if needed
- Select Claim to unlock the statement and begin your review
Applicants must include a municipal email address when they complete a Site Disclosure Statement. It's up to the municipality or approving officer to provide applicants with an appropriate email for use with SDS submissions. This may be an email created specifically for this purpose, or an existing email that is checked often. All SDS communications with the ministry will use this email address.
Review a Site Disclosure Statement
Within 15 days of receiving a Site Disclosure Statement, municipalities or approving officers must review it to determine if it is required.
Is it required?
Applicants must submit a Site Disclosure Statement if:
- Their site has, or has had, commercial or industrial uses listed in Schedule 2,
- They have applied for a zoning or subdivision approval, or for a building or development permit for an activity that causes soil disturbance, and
- No exemptions apply
Only Site Disclosure Statements that are used for the reasons above should be submitted in the web app. If an SDS is not required, and a municipality wants documentation for their own records, they may request the applicant complete:
- A Declaration of No Schedule 2 Uses form, or
- The online version of the Site Disclosure Statement
- Municipalities can save a copy of this form as a PDF for their records
These forms are only for municipality or approving officer records. Do not send copies to the ministry.
Does an exemption apply?
To request an exemption, applicants must provide:
- A Site Disclosure Statement stating the exemption type
- Documentation that supports the use of an exemption
If an exemption applies:
- There are no restrictions on the relevant applications
- Applicants do not need to complete the full SDS
Approving authorities are responsible for assessing exemptions. The ministry does not approve them.
- Review the list of exemptions in Division 3 of the Contaminated Sites Regulation
- Review exemption instructions for applicants
Find out what to do if an exemption falls under one of these sections:
Exemption under CSR Section 4(1) – Certification issued
What to do:
1. Ask the applicant for a copy of the certification
2. Email SiteID@gov.bc.ca to confirm it hasn’t been rescinded
3. Confirm document is valid and relevant to proposed land use
4. Confirm that the applicant has made enquiries to find out whether further contamination has happened at the site
Exemption under CSR Section 4.2(2)(c.2) – Surface-only construction
What to do:
- Review the development plan to confirm it is not a large-scale slab-on-grade building or redevelopment project
- This exemption applies to upgrades or improvements to properties with active commercial or industrial uses listed in Schedule 2
- Examples include (but are not limited to) footings for a gas station canopy, installing electric vehicle charging stations on a concrete pad, or installing Quonset huts
Exemption under CSR Section 4.7 – Site Profile previously submitted
What to do:
- Email SiteID@gov.bc.ca to confirm that the site profile was submitted to the registrar and not the director
- Confirm that a Schedule 2 use has not been at the site since the date that the site profile was given to the municipality or approving officer
Is the statement complete?
Review the statement to make sure:
- All sections are complete and understandable. "N/A" should be used when information isn't available for a field
- A site map of appropriate scale that shows the location and boundaries is uploaded to BC Box
- The site owner or operator is identified and has signed the statement
If the statement is incomplete return it to the applicant to revise and resubmit. Approving authorities can add notes for the applicant to tell them what is missing from their statement.
To return a statement with notes:
- Open the form in the SRS Web App and go to the Notes section at the top of the form
- Click the +Add Another button to open a notes field
- Briefly describe what is needed to complete the SDS
- Click Save
- Click Needs more info at the bottom of the form to send the SDS back to the applicant
15 days is counted from the time the approving authority receives the updated version.
Follow this process until the SDS is complete and no information is missing.
If the municipality or approving officer disagrees with the information on the statement:
- Work with the applicant to resolve any dispute
- Contact the ministry for advice at SiteID@gov.bc.ca if a resolution can’t be reached independently
It is important not to alter the SDS without the applicant’s knowledge and consent as this is a signed legal form that includes a certification statement.
Municipalities and approving officers may charge up to $100 per Site Disclosure Statement submitted to offset their administration costs.
Once the statement is ready
- Complete the Approving authority contact information section of the statement in the SRS Web App
- Include the Application ID for your municipality's application, if applicable. If there is no Application ID then ensure the Permit Number is included.
- Check to make sure the statement only shows active applications and not future applications
- Include the date you received the SDS and the date you submitted it to the ministry
- Click Submit to ministry to send the form to the ministry
You'll receive an email that confirms the Site Disclosure Statement is successfully submitted to the ministry.
After the statement is submitted
Municipalities and approving officers can't approve applications listed on a Site Disclosure Statement that's submitted to the ministry until restrictions are removed according to local government laws.
To remove restrictions, the applicant must provide one of the following official ministry documents to the municipality or approving officer:
| Type | Reason for using | What it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Certification document | Confirms site is not contaminated, remediation plan has been approved, or site is remediated | Applies to all applications needed for development but must meet future land use |
| Release notice | Waives restrictions for specified applications | Only applies to listed applications in the notice |
Municipalities and approving officers need to confirm that ministry documents are relevant to the proposed land use. For more information, you can:
- Search local government records for site information
- Work with applicants to get site information and address issues or concerns
- Email the ministry for advice: SiteID@gov.bc.ca
As administrators of the site identification process for the B.C. government, municipalities and approving authorities will not be held liable for relying on official ministry documents. Read more: Section 61 of Environmental Management Act.