Brownfields breakthrough!
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 In late February, the provincial government posted a draft regulation to the Environmental Bill Registry 
 that includes C.E.T., Certified Engineering Technologist as qualified persons to conduct and sign off on 
 Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. They are also authorized to sign off on a Record of 
 Site Condition.

 This is a major step for many OACETT members who currently work on assessment and remediation of 
 brownfield sites. Although the Brownfields Draft Regulation - Relating to the Filing of a Record of Site 
 Condition isn’t final, it is significant and appropriate that OACETT members are included with the 
 professional engineers and professional geoscientists as qualified persons.

 The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment tabled 
 the brownfields legislation to remove barriers that limit the redevelopment of brownfields in Ontario. 
 The legislation deals with environmental liability, financing and planning issues.

 Queen’s Park says the law will remove some of the environmental risks involved in redeveloping 
 brownfields. The new legislation also gives municipalities planning tools and financial means such as 
 grants, loans and tax incentives to help in the redevelopment of sites.
 
 The draft regulation includes professional engineers, professional geoscientists and certified 
 engineering technologists. The regulation will remain posted on the Environmental Bill Registry for 
 public discussion for 60 days.

 Different qualifications are listed for qualified persons who perform site specific risk assessments. 
 The ministry transferred the existing remediation standards from guidelines into the regulations for 
 Phase I and II ESAs. 

 Visit the ministry’s Web site at http://204.40.253.254/envision/env_reg/ebr/english/index.htm

 Here’s how the draft regulation defines a qualified person:

 For the purposes of the definition of qualified person in section 168.1 of the Act, except in relation 
 to the preparation or supervision of a risk assessment, a person meets the prescribed qualifications if,
 
 a) the person holds a licence or temporary licence issued under the Professional Engineers Act to engage 
 in the practice of professional engineering, other than a limited licence issued under that Act;

 b) the person is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario under the 
 Professional Geoscientists Act, 2000, but not if the person is a limited member; 

 c) the person is registered as an C.E.T., Certified Engineering Technologist by the Ontario Association 
 of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists under the Ontario Association of Certified 
 Engineering Technicians and Technologists Act, 1998.