Overview
The Alberta government officially recognizes completed remediation projects with certificates. Participation in this program is voluntary.
To be eligible for a remediation certificate, applicants must demonstrate remediation success and complete a Remediation Certificate Application Form as described in the Limited or Site-based Guides to Remediation Certificates.
For details, see: Alberta’s Remediation Certificate Program.
To review the overview presentation on remediation certificates, see: Remediation Certificates 101.
General application information
Site owners or developers that would like to receive a remediation certificate must:
- submit a completed Remediation Certificate Application form
- pay an application fee of $1,000
- provide the applicant signature and that of a professional regulatory organization member
For more information about who can sign the applications, see: Professional sign off.
Remediation certificates for contaminated sites
The Alberta government offers 2 types of voluntary remediation certificates:
A "limited" remediation certificate that certifies an area has been remediated to the appropriate standard, similar to the previous "area-based" remediation certificate.
A "site-based" remediation certificate that certifies that the entire site has been remediated to the appropriate standard.
If you have assessed your area of land or site and it meets Alberta Tier 2 Soil and Groundwater Remediation 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; however, it does provide administrative closure by confirming that no further work is required to meet Alberta Tier 2 objectives.
Remediation certificates for upstream oil and gas sites
The Alberta Energy Regulator is responsible for reviewing remediation certificates for upstream oil and gas sites such as wellsites, pipelines and batteries. This program does not apply to processing facilities that are considered part of downstream operations or facilities that operate under approval with the Alberta government, such as sour gas processing facilities.
For more information on remediation certificates for upstream oil and gas facilities, see the Alberta Energy Regulator website.