Recent updates have been made to Protocol 1 (Detailed Risk Assessment), Protocol 12 (Site Risk Classification), and Protocol 22 (Vapour Intrusion Assessment). These changes will come into effect on January 15, 2027, allowing time for industry to prepare.
What’s Changing?
The revisions focus on improving clarity, consolidating requirements, and aligning with other regulatory bodies.
Protocol 1 – Detailed Risk Assessment
- Detailed risk assessments will require consideration of climate change, and First Nations use and interests.
- To improve clarity on detailed risk assessment requirements and process, forms and information that was previously in Protocol 20 (Detailed Ecological Risk Assessment Checklist), Protocol 30 (Classifying Substances as Carcinogenic), and Protocol 13 (habitat and receptor questionnaire) have been consolidated into Protocol 1 and in some cases enhanced, e.g. addition of a new Aquatic Habitat and Receptor Identification Questionnaire
Protocol 12 – Site Risk Classification
- Updates simplify how sites are classified and reported and transition users to digital submission forms through a new web-based system.
- New definition for Confirmation of Remediation of High-Risk Conditions Report to include requirements for such report.
- Future land-use to be considered in active application for Certificate of Compliance or Scenario 3 Release requests.
- New submission exemptions include applications for Determination or Scenario 1 Release request, small soil quantity exemptions, and mobile non-aqueous phase liquid and background concentration exemptions.
- Protocol 11 for Upper Cap Concentrations will be combined into Protocol 12.
Protocol 22 – Vapour Intrusion Assessment
- Vapour assessment methods have been updated to align with national guidance for estimating indoor air concentrations. This reduces interpretation and places greater emphasis on defensible site-specific assumptions.
- The updated protocol introduces new default Vertical Attenuation Factors (VAFs), e.g., 0.03 for residential, 0.01 for commercial/parkade. This provides an increased attenuation factor for commercial/ industrial/parkade scenarios and better reflects a greater slab thickness typically used in those applications.
- The updated protocol replaces the previous parkade attenuation adjustment approach with a risk based vapour attenuation factor.
- Updated to clarify when additional attenuation factors can be used and instructions on how to apply them.
For more details, view a summary of the changes by watching the Government of BC’s YouTube videos:
Key Benefits of These Changes
These updates are designed to make the regulatory process more efficient, transparent, and consistent. For clients, this may result in:
- More streamlined project workflows
- Greater clarity in regulatory expectations
- Improved consistency in risk assessments and approvals
- A transition toward digital submission processes
While the changes do not take effect until 2027, early awareness and preparation will help ensure a smooth transition for upcoming projects.
How Can We Help?
With decades of experience and a dedicated team of Approved Professionals and Contaminated Sites experts, Keystone Environmental help clients meet regulatory requirements while minimizing project delays. We provide practical solutions to keep your project moving forward.
Have a question or need more details? Connect with your Keystone Environmental Project Manager, or Kevin Wong, Co-Department Head of our Contaminated Sites group.