The Environmental Management Act (EMA) and Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) determine the requirements for site remediation in B.C.
Refer to EMA or the following parts of the Act that are directly related to site remediation:
Refer to the CSR to learn more about the Regulation, as well as amendments coming into effect.
Review recent amendments to protocols affecting contaminated sites:
The Stage 14 amendments to the CSR include:
The changes to soil relocation help streamline the legal regime, making the process clearer and more transparent and improve the ministry’s ability to carry out compliance verification and enforcement.
The changes to site identification and Schedules 1 and 2 ensure the Stage 13 amendments operate as intended.
The CSR amendments were deposited on June 6, 2022. Changes to soil relocation come into effect on March 1, 2023.
Approved amendments to EMA and the CSR:
Previous amendments
Stage 13 amendments to the CSR included changes to the current process for identifying contaminated sites.
These changes strengthen and streamline the legal regime, making the process clearer and more predictable and improve the ministry’s ability to carry out compliance verification and enforcement.
This ensures that contaminated sites are investigated and remediated in a timely manner, following site closure and prior to redevelopment:
Earlier amendments and schedule can be found on:
Protocols are technical and administrative procedures that are legally required under EMA:
The information on this web page does not replace the legislative requirements in 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.