Companies have the option of applying for a remediation certificate after cleaning up contamination on their sites. The certificate provides assurance to site owners, managers, and stakeholders that the contamination has been removed to our satisfaction. Unlike reclamation certificates, applying for a remediation certificate is voluntary.
Land that has received a reclamation certificate does not automatically qualify for a remediation certificate.
Remediation Certificate Requirements
To be eligible for a remediation certificate, contaminated areas from upstream oil and gas activities must have been remediated according to Alberta Tier 1 or Tier 2 Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines set out by Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP).
Remediated areas are eligible for certification under one of two programs:
Remediation Certificates for General Contaminated Sites
This program applies to upstream oil and gas activities under an Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval or registration (e.g., sour gas plants, sweet gas plants, oil sands processing plants). Visit AEP’s website for a program guide, fact sheet, and application form.
Remediation Certificates for Upstream Oil and Gas Sites
This program applies to all other upstream oil and gas activities (e.g., well sites, pipelines, batteries). Visit AEP’s website for a program guide, fact sheet, and application form.
Application Process
Submit an Application
Under the Remediation Regulation, companies must submit their remediation certificate application form and documentation, demonstrating remediation success, to @email. The form must be signed by both the applicant and a qualified environmental professional.
We do not charge a fee for submitting remediation certificate applications.
Review Process
- We share all applications on our Public Notice of Application page to encourage public participation in the approval process.
- Anyone who believes that they may be directly and adversely affected by an application can file a statement of concern (SOC). If we receive an SOC, it may take us longer to process the application.
- Once we make a decision on a remediation certificate application, we will post a notice on our Publication of Decision page. The remediation certificate and supporting documentation will be made available through our Products and Services Catalogue.
Our decisions on remediation certificates are subject to our regulatory appeal process. An eligible person, as defined under section 36 of the Responsible Energy Development Act, may file a request for a regulatory appeal.
Regular Audits
We audit varying numbers of applications each year to confirm that the remediation certificate applications were complete, and that the submitted documentation indicates remediation success. A remediation certificate may be cancelled based on a substantiated complaint or the results of an audit.
Contact Us
For questions about remediation, please contact our Customer Contact Centre.