June 24, 2026

Amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulation under the Environmental Management Act have been approved by Order in Council number 254 and will take effect on July 1, 2026. 

These amendments update fees and service descriptions for contaminated sites submissions and applications. The updated fees reflect feedback gathered through the 2024 discussion paper and targeted engagement in 2025, which informed both revised fee amounts and the move to simplified flat rate categories.  

Key changes include: 

• Updated fees for accessing information from the Site Registry;  
• Introduction of simplified flat-rate fee categories for many ministry services; and 
• Revised fee structure to better align fees with the average time and effort required to review submissions. 

 These changes support more consistent and timely review of submissions and reflect increasing demand and complexity in contaminated sites work across British Columbia.  

The amendments do not change submission requirements or regulatory obligations. The new fees will apply to applications and submissions received on or after July 1, 2026. Applications received prior to this date will continue to be processed under the current fee structure.  

Additional information, including guidance materials, are available on the Province’s website at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/site-remediation/apply-for-services/pay-site-remediation-fees 

If you have any questions, please contact: EPDFees@gov.bc.ca. 

UDI is engaging with the Ministry of Environment and Parks on recent updates to Protocol 1 and will keep members informed on this work.  

May 27, 2026

The Ministry of Environment has released clarifying amendments to Protocol 1: Detailed Risk Assessment (DRA) to provide guidance on the intent and implementation of recent updates requiring consideration of climate change effects and First Nations' uses and interests. The amendments take effect January 15, 2027. 

Recent amendments clarify that qualified professionals are expected to use their professional judgement to consider where relevant: 

• Potential climate change effects on site contamination and risk control measures 
• First Nations’ uses and interests, as part of identifying all potential contaminant-pathway receptor combinations for a site  

The core purpose and risk-based framework of Protocol 1 remain unchanged. The updates do not introduce new obligations for consultation or approvals, nor do they alter existing regulatory roles or decision-making authority. 

UDI will be meeting with our Contaminated Sites Issues Committee to discuss the amendments and will continue to engage with the Ministry of Environment on this issue, keeping members informed. 

Additional information can be found in the clarifying amendments bulletin and Protocol 1 document.