FAQs

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On this page, we have put together answers to questions you may have about Traces Québec and how it works. If you have any additional questions about the application of the regulation, we would invite you to contact your regional office of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs directly.

The Traces Québec solution

What is Traces Québec?

Traces Québec is a governmental system that has been developed to manage traceability data on contaminated soil excavated in Quebec. Traces Québec is accessible through an Internet connection and is available as a web portal and mobile application.

The Traces Québec solution was designed by Attestra, on behalf of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, to provide a framework for the management of contaminated soil and to prevent their illegal disposal. This new tool meets the requirements of the Règlement concernant la traçabilité des sols contaminés excavés.

Equipped with a user-friendly and secure interface, the Traces Québec solution allows the various stakeholders involved in the management of contaminated soil to electronically record all the information concerning the management of contaminated soil moved away from the original site.

Who should be involved in Traces Québec?

Traces Québec is intended for all stakeholders involved in the traceability of excavated contaminated soil, such as owners of contaminated soil, transporters, and receiving sites.

Registration

Is registration with Traces Québec mandatory?

Registration with Traces Québec is mandatory for all stakeholders covered by the Règlement concernant la traçabilité des sols contaminés excavés.

How do I register as a user for my company, city or receiving site?

Only the account administrator can add a user. Please contact the administrator.

Project

How do I add a participant to my project?

You need to know the name or number of the company account you wish to add. You can start entering the name or number in the dedicated field and a drop-down menu will suggest accounts that match the information entered. If you cannot find the participant you wish to add, we recommend that you contact the participant to obtain their account number or name. It is important to understand that you are inviting an account to the project, not a user.

Users registered with your company’s account already have access to your projects. You do not need to invite them to register.

Tracking slip

If the contaminated soils come from Ontario, does the receiving site have to produce a tracking slip in Traces Québec?

The Regulation respecting the traceability of excavated contaminated soils applies only when the soils are from the province of Québec. The contaminated soils from outside the province of Québec don’t have to be registered in Traces Québec. However, excavated soils from the province of Québec directed to a receiving site outside Québec are concerned by the Regulation and must be registered in Traces Québec (Ref. Art. 22 of RCTSCE).

Is it possible to modify the quantity of soil received on a closed tracking slip?

It is possible for the receiving site to modify the quantity of soil received on a tracking slip with the status Soils received. However, if the tracking slip has been attested or the project has the status Completed, no modification will be possible.

Can I print the tracking slips?

To print a tracking slip, you must use your keyboard and press Ctrl+P or Print Screen. The electronic tracking slip does not replace the paper manifest or bill of lading provided or required by the receiving location. The tracking slip number must be written on the paper manifest.

When receiving the tracking slip, should the gross or net weight be entered?

The receiving location must record the net weight (without the weight of the truck), i.e., the weight of the soil only.

Transporter

When should transporters start to use the traceability system?

Transporters will only have to register with Traces Québec as of January 1, 2023.

I would like to create a "Transporter" account, is this possible?

Transporters will be able to register voluntarily for the system in 2022. Communications will be sent to clients when transporter access is operational.

Must the vehicle used to transport the soils be equipped with a GPS system?

The vehicle used to transport the contaminated soils doesn’t have to be equipped with a GPS system. The GPS tracking is done through the Traces Québec mobile application. The GPS tracking of the contaminated soils is mandatory for all projects exceeding 200 metric tonnes and for soils shipped by the receiving sites.

General questions

Should I enter the weight in kg or metric tonnes?

You must indicate the weight in metric tonnes.

Example: 86.26 MT.

If the system is down, what should I do for my trucks that aren't traced?

If Traces Québec is inaccessible because of the system itself or its administrator Attestra (e.g. failure, interruption), you can use the paper manifests during this period. Furthermore, you won’t need to enter retroactively your data in the system.

However, if you wish to obtain the complete traceability of your project, it is exceptionally permitted to enter retroactively your data in the Traces Québec system when the interruption is over. Please note that service interruption are regularly planned, but they are usually short (15 minutes) and programmed between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Invoicing

Who is responsible for the invoice? And what is the cost?

The owner, contractor and/or person responsible for the waste identified in the project will be invoiced. The sites referred to in section 3 of the Regulation respecting the traceability of excavated contaminated soil will also be invoiced.

A fee per metric tonne of soil is payable for any quantity of contaminated soil that is transported. For more information, see the Regulation respecting the fees payable for the traceability of excavated contaminated soil (in French only).