Contaminated sites program

The contaminated sites program covers everything from the release of a contaminant, notifying the Department of Environment and Local Government, conducting site assessments, remedial activities and monitoring and achieving site closure. The program is outlined in the Contaminated Sites Regulation, under the Clean Environment Act, and in six ministerial protocols.

• Contaminated Sites Program (Protocol-100) (PDF 453KB) provides a brief overview of the program and provides basic information on the Department’s requirements.
• Notification of the Release of a Contaminant (Protocol-200 (PDF 390 KB)) - Anyone who knows or has reason to believe that a contaminant has been released into or is present in the environment must notify the department. The department’s head office in Fredericton is supported by six regional offices. Between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., contact the office nearest to the release.

• Limited Impact Release (Protocol-300 (PDF 395 KB)) – This protocol offers guidance on handling releases of petroleum hydrocarbons or other contaminants that may have limited environmental impacts.
• Environmental Site Assessment (Protocol-400 (PDF 446 KB)) – This protocol describes the requirements that must be followed for conducting an environmental site assessment and reporting the results to the department. The responsible party must engage a site professional to plan, implement, and oversee an appropriate assessment.
• Remediation, Risk Assessment, and Monitoring (Protocol-500 (PDF 439 KB)) – This protocol describes the next steps following submission of an environmental site assessment, including the requirements for a remedial action plan and/or monitoring reports. 
• File Closure (Protocol-600 (PDF 545 KB)) – This protocol outlines the requirements needed to close a contaminated site file and the criteria that could lead to its reopening.