Alberta's generic soil and groundwater remediation guidelines, applied according to land use and relevant exposure pathways. Tier 1 is a guideline pathway; Tier 2 allows site-specific assessment. Meeting a guideline does not itself issue a remediation certificate.
The Alberta Tier 1 Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines provide generic guidelines for contaminated-site assessment and remediation. The 2024 edition took effect on June 27, 2024. Alberta's contaminated-sites framework also includes Tier 2 and Exposure Control options; the appropriate pathway depends on site conditions and the applicable requirements.
Select applicable guidelines using the proposed land use, soil and groundwater conditions, contaminants and relevant exposure pathways. Sampling and site characterization remain necessary. A table value alone does not establish that every affected area or pathway has been assessed, or that a certificate will be issued.
Tier 2 uses site-specific information to assess or adjust applicable guidelines within Alberta's framework. It is not automatically a less final outcome or a longer monitoring obligation. For a remediation certificate application, confirm the guideline edition and application requirements with Alberta's current guidance, including any applicable transition provisions.
Step 1, confirm the regulator. Sites under Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and sites under the Alberta Energy Regulator follow different submission routes. Remediation certificate applications for AER-regulated sites accompany the AER's Record of Site Condition and are submitted through OneStop.
Step 2, characterize the site. Map where impacts sit in soil and groundwater, which contaminants are present (for hydrocarbon sites, commonly BTEX and petroleum hydrocarbon fractions F1 to F4), the soil texture, the land use and the exposure pathways that apply. These inputs decide which Tier 1 values are relevant.
Step 3, choose the guideline pathway. Compare the data with the applicable Tier 1 values. Where site conditions support it, Tier 2 may be used to assess or adjust guidelines. Exposure Control is a separate option for managing pathways instead of reaching the guideline values.
Step 4, select the remedy. Common routes for hydrocarbon soil include on-site thermal treatment, other treatment methods and disposal. Site access, season, volume, haul distance and the intended reuse of the soil all shape the choice.
Step 5, verify and document. Confirmatory sampling must show the treated or remaining soil meets the guideline edition in effect when the remediation certificate application is made. Alberta's regulatory closure guidance sets out what an application must demonstrate.
In practice: on the Bear Hills project on Louis Bull First Nation land, Nelson thermally treated 140,000 tonnes of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil to Alberta Tier 1 criteria for BTEX and TPH F1 to F4, and the treated soil was returned to the site. On a legacy Alberta wellsite, Nelson treated 19,223 tonnes on site with all treated soil confirmed against Alberta Tier 2 criteria.
Also known as: Alberta Tier 1, Tier 1 guidelines, AEPA Tier 1.
They are Alberta's generic soil and groundwater remediation guidelines, selected by land use, soil and groundwater conditions, contaminants and exposure pathways. The current edition took effect on June 27, 2024.
Tier 1 applies generic guideline values. Tier 2 uses site-specific information to assess or adjust applicable guidelines within Alberta's framework. Tier 2 is not automatically a less final outcome.
Not by itself. Meeting a guideline value is evidence for a remediation certificate application. Confirm the edition and application requirements with Alberta's current guidance.
Common routes include on-site thermal treatment, other treatment methods, or disposal, chosen around site conditions. Nelson has treated petroleum hydrocarbon soil for more than 30 years with its mobile thermal fleet, followed by verification sampling against the applicable guidelines.
Petroleum Hydrocarbons: treatment approach
The full spectrum of petroleum-derived organic compounds — crude oil, condensate, diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and bunker fuel — reported analytically as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in gasoline-range (C6–C10), diesel-range (C10–C28), and heavy-range (C28–C40) fractions.
A regulatory designation for the most effective and advanced stage of development of activities and operating methods. Regulators use BAT to set minimum performance standards for pollution control and contaminated-site remediation, anchored in technical and economic feasibility rather than vendor preference.
The U.S. federal law passed in 1980 that establishes liability, cleanup standards, and the Superfund program for sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The foundational statute for U.S. environmental remediation and the basis for the 2024 designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances.
A 2001 international treaty in force since 2004 that requires signatory countries to eliminate or restrict the production, use, and release of designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, including PCBs, dioxins, furans, and a growing list of PFAS compounds.
An independent third-party verification process for environmental technology performance, originally administered by the U.S. EPA and now operated by national and international programs in Canada, the European Union, and Asia. ETV documents what a technology actually achieves under defined conditions, separate from vendor marketing claims.