Funded, but not endorsed by the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP), was a recent report “Best Management Practices for Aggregate Pit and Quarry Rehabilitation in Ontario.” The document was developed in March 2021 by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. BMP for Excess Soils The purpose of the document is stated as “The BMPs are intended to assist Qualified Persons (QPs), municipalities, aggregate licensees, and operators in evaluating...
Read MoreProposed updates to Records of Site Condition Part 1: Excess Soils
On January 4, 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) posted three proposals on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. The proposals are open for comments from Qualified Persons (QPs), municipalities, and stakeholders until April 4, 2021. The three documents, listed below, provide guidance to support the brownfields program. Proposed updates to Records of Site Condition: A Guide on Site Assessment, the Cleanup of Brownfield Sites and the Filing of...
Read MoreManagement of Excess Soils in Ontario: Official Changes Begin in 2020
As anticipated, management of excess soils in Ontario has officially been changed. On December 4, 2019, the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) filed the On-Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation. This includes associated changes to Ontario’s Record of Site Condition and Waste Management Regulation. Statement from the MECP In the official release from the MECP Minister, Jeff Yurek states, “As Ontario’s population continues to grow, we need...
Read MoreFish Kills, Monetary Fines, Embarrassing Notices, and Concerns About Excess Soil
Most of the environmental issues that we routinely address in the regulated community are not going to make the evening news. They are just not newsworthy. However, when those issues reach the point of violations/enforcement, or when there is distrust regarding the proposed activity, there is plenty of press. From a “risk communication” standpoint, these prickly issues fall into consensus and crises communication. Release Leads to Fish Kill The fire and subsequent...
Read MoreExcess Soils in Ontario: What You Need to Know
In our annual informal survey at CANECT, we asked those in attendance, “What is the most important environmental issue facing the regulated community?” One of the common themes was keeping up with changing regulatory requirements. Perhaps nothing exemplifies this frustration more (trying to keep up with and understand your obligations) than the issue of excess soil (policy/practices/regulation). In 2016, we wrote an article in Environmental Science and Engineering (“How...
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