BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy: Plume Stability, Soil Relocation and New Acting Director

Grandfathering Period Established for Demonstrating Plume Stability under DRA

Requirements for demonstrating plume stability under Detailed Risk Assessment were clarified by the Ministry via CS e-Link on February 1, 2019.  It has come to the Ministry’s attention that these requirements could result in appreciable delays of a number of contaminated site instrument applications where alternative approaches to demonstrating plume stability have been relied upon. Consequently, the Ministry is granting a grandfathering period of 9 months for CS instruments that are based on DRA to transition to the requirements outlined in the February 1, 2019 CS e-Link. Effective Date Applications for CS instruments based on DRA submitted prior to December 20, 2019 may rely a professional opinion of plume stability reached by a qualified hydrogeologist based on scientifically defensible data and arguments and full documentation. Applications submitted after December 20, 2019 must meet the minimum requirements specified in the ENV February 1, 2019 CS e-link. Please be advised it the responsibility of Qualified Professionals involved in providing contaminated sites investigation and remediation services to inform their clients of requirements under the Contaminated Sites Regulation.  The grandfathering period from February 1, 2019 to December 20, 2019 is considered sufficient to allow minimum groundwater data requirements to be met in CS instrument applications submitted after December 20, 2019.

Webinar on Prevention of Site Contamination from Soil Relocation is posted!

As previously announced, two webinars were held by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to explain the proposed amendments to the soil relocation provisions in the Environmental Management Act and the Contaminated Sites Regulation. The webinars included a presentation and time for questions and answers. A recording from the February 28, 2019 webinar has been posted on the BC Government website here. Any questions about the soil relocation proposed amendments can be directed to [email protected] or 778-698-4873.

Personnel Announcements: New Acting Director at Land Remediation

A The Land Remediation Section is pleased to welcome Alan McCammon is our new acting Director.  Alan will fill this role into the fall when Danielle Grbavac returns.