WHEREAS the Underground Petroleum Storage Tank Site Environmental Remediation Program was announced by Alberta Municipal Affairs in October, 2000;AND WHEREAS this remediation program includes orphan sites that were previous retail facilities that have been acquired by municipalities through tax defaults;AND WHEREAS this remediation program also includes active retail facilities;AND WHEREAS these out-of-service retail facility sites may be a potential environmental hazard and should be addressed as soon as possible;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to increase funding in the Underground Petroleum Storage Tank Site Environmental Remediation Program to include funding for the remediation of out-of-service retail facility sites, and sites used for municipal purposes.

On October 13, 2000 the Province announced an environmental remediation program for underground petroleum storage tank sites for municipalities with orphaned former retail sites and small retail fuel facility owners. The Province has allocated $80 million for this program, which will run from October 2000 to March 31, 2002. Environmental site assessments will be funded up to a maximum of $10,000 per site. Municipalities and retail owners of single sites will be reimbursed for remediation costs up to a maximum of $100,000 per site. Small retail owners of multiple sites will be reimbursed according to a sliding scale based on the number of sites. A retroactivity component of the program will recognize responsible municipalities and small retailers who have cleaned up their sites since the Alberta Fire Code was amended September 1, 1992.