Rehabilitation and Excess Soil
Excess Soil Guidance for Aggregate Producers
In December 2019, the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) released changes to regulations under the Environmental Protection Act relating to excess soil – known as the Excess Soil Reuse Regulation. On January 1, 2021, some sections of the Excess Soil Reuse Regulation came into effect. The portions of the Excess Soil Reuse Regulation that came into effect include the Excess Soil Reuse Rules, the Excess Soil Reuse Standards, and the waste designation of excess soil. Although, the planning requirements and tracking requirements of the Excess Soil Reuse Regulation come into effect on January 1, 2022, they will likely be requested by excess soil reuse sites prior to January 1, 2022.
OSSGA's Environment Committee developed a guidance document to assist producers with the management of excess soil that is either moved off or brought onto their properties. This document is meant to serve aggregate producers as a navigation guide for the current regulation and in some cases for expected changes to the regulation as they have been publicly communicated by the MECP as well as best management practices for the management of excess soils.
Click here to download the OSSGA guidance document.
In March 2021, OSPE completed a Scientific Report and Best Management Practices on the beneficial reuse of excess soil at aggregate pits and quarries. The reports are intented to assist Qualifed Persons (QPs), municipalities, aggregate licensees, and operators in evaluating options for beneficially reusing excess soils to rehabilitate pits and quarries in a safe, economicallly viable, and climate positive manner.