Document required and sources for Phase I ESA
- Aerial Photographs (reference to the National Air Photo Library)
a) Contact information of the organization:
Either my mail, telephone or fax
National Air Photo Library
Centre for Topographic Information
Natural Resources Canada
615 Booth Street, Room 180
Ottawa Ontario Canada
K1A 0E9
Telephone: (613) 995-4560 or 1-800-230-6275
Fax: (613) 995-4568
E-Mail:
b) Information that is available on the website
Types of Air Photos
1)MONOCHROME PHOTOGRAPHY: are black and white and primarily used for mapping purposes.
2)COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY: Normally a colored film seen by human eyes, help to differentiate one type of tree from another in forest inventory
3)INFRARED IMAGERY: used to identify diseased or pollution damaged plants and trees.
Other types are also present like digital air photos.
c) Most of the information can be obtained through the Internet like
d) Ordering is done either through the phone, mail, or fax under this address:
National Air Photo Library
Centre for Topographic Information
Natural Resources Canada
615 Booth Street, Room 180
Ottawa Ontario Canada
K1A 0E9
Telephone: (613) 995-4560 or 1-800-230-6275
Fax: (613) 995-4568
E-Mail:
Hours:
Monday - Friday
08:30 – 16:30 EST
Cost:
Monochrome Contact Print- $10.95
Color Contact Print (Negative original)-$16.45
Color Contact Print (Positive original)-$27.95
The above price excludes the tax and the shipping and handling charges. Tax include 7% and shipping and handling charges depending on the area, Canada - $6.00, International order - $10.00
check this website for more information about the aerial photographs cost price.
2.Insurance Maps
a)Contact information:
Insurance Advisory Organization
Ontario Division
90 Allstate Parkway
Markham, ON, L3R 6H3
phone: (905) 474-7385, or (800) 268-8080
fax: (905) 474-5604
internet:
b)Main sources of information:
- Historical Environmental Information Reporting System (HEIRS): responsible parties who have taken the time to catalogue environmental liabilities at a particular site add into this database, which provides historical information geared towards a Phase I ESA; it includes Fire Insurance Maps (which contain histories of building sites, info on storage tanks, transformers, boilers), and Property Underwriters Reports/Site Plans (which contain further information on building construction, heating sources, presence of hazardous materials, storage tank info, transformers)
- EcoLog: this catalogue has links to over 20 different databases to help identify potential environmental risks, which includes The National PCB Inventory, Private Fuel Storage Tanks, Pesticide Register, and others
- Others: also available are aerial photos, topographical maps, land title searches, and others.
c)Information can be obtained through the mail in paper format.
d)To order, the easiest way is to use the on-line order form at one can also print the on-line order former and make the order through fax. Information required is property info, which can include the municipal address, postal code, sketch of the site, and past property names. The cost for HEIRS is $130-175 with a wait of 2-3 business days, EcoLog is $115-295 with a wait of 2-7 business days, and all other info such as aerial photos and topographical maps varies in cost from $10 to $35, and takes 2-10 business days to arrive.
3.Certificate of Approval
The Certificate of Approval is a legal instrument and is defined in various sections of the Environmental Protection Act, Feb. 1994 as well as the Ontario Water Resources Act.
By provision of the Environmental Bill of Rights and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the public can not only obtain but also comment on or complain about certificates of approval (CoA).
- Contact Information:
Person: Lydia Trzoch
Address: Ministry of Environment, Freedom of Information Office
40, St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Phone: (416) 314 4075
Fax: (416) 314-4285
Website:
The Freedom of Information Office (FOI) keeps records of all CoAs. Upon request and subsequent payment of the required fee, the FOI will make available to the public any particular certificate(s).
- What Information is Available:
Each CoA is numbered, has the application year, description of type of CoA (air, water, wastewater, waste disposal, etc.), status (whether approved/amended, etc) and conditions of approval (guidelines for maximum allowable values, criteria for non-compliance). CoA types are as per the Environmental Protection Act, Sections 9, 10, 27 and 46 as well as the Ontario Water Resources Act, Section 53(1).
- In What Form the Information can be obtained:
CoAs can be obtained in paper form, as photocopies of the original. As of now, there is no provision for obtaining them electronically.
- How to Order
A person may download a request form called ‘Freedom of Information Request Form #0026’ from the website: and submit this form by mail along with a cheque for $5.00 (non refundable application fee). If the payment is by credit card the request form can be faxed along with another form on which the requester specifies his credit card number. This form can be downloaded from website:
The FOI Office houses documents from present back to 1999. Older documents called ‘offsite’ files are housed in the Archives Office.
Alternately, the public can request a particular local industry’s CoA from the local Ministry of Environment Office (District Area Office or DAO), for example the MOE Windsor Area Office at 6th Floor, 250, Windsor Avenue, Windsor, ON (N9A 6V9). The latter would in turn contact the Freedom of Information Office at Toronto. Upon payment of the application fee of $5.00 and receipt of the request order, the Ministry would issue an FOI request number and processing would commence. As an acknowledgment, a copy of the request would be mailed to the requester.
The FOI Office houses documents from present back to 1985. Documents prior to this are called ‘offsite’ files and are housed in the Archives Office.
- Cost:
The chargeable fees are:
$5.00 non-refundable application fee
$30.00 per hour search time to locate document ($60 per hour for older document)
$30.00 per hour preparation time (like remove binding, taking out process flow information from CoA)
20 cents per page photocopying charges
Invoiced expenses (blueprints, photographs, etc)
Delivery costs
- Delivery Time:
Delivery time would be between two weeks (for recent certificates) to one month (older certificates).
- Geological reports of the site
a)Contact info of organizations:
Geological Survey of Canada Maps
Web site
The leddy Library
b) What info is available
Geological information is available that shows the varies types of rock and soils present at a location, some maps give the depth of the rocks present
c) in what form can information be obtained
there are scanned maps as well as online maps paper copies may be obtained
You are allowed to sign out maps at the school library
d) how to order, cost and delivery time
Order on line at
Costs and delivery time varies
Maps may also be obtained through the library through Map search function (the librarian says that all of the maps in the basement are cataloged)
- Topographic maps
depict detail ground relief (landforms and terrain), drainage (lakes and rivers), forest cover, administrative areas, populated areas, transportation routes and facilities (roads and railways), and other man-made features. The Canadian Map Office no longer distributes maps directly to the public. In 1997, the Centre for Topographic Information developed a network of Regional Distribution Centres to replace the Canadian Map Office. Topographic maps can be found on the Internet, in the Leddy Library, the Windsor Public Library, and at map distributors in the area. One can purchase National Topographic System (NTS) maps from over 900 dealers across Canada, U.S. and overseas. The dealers in your area can be easily found through the use of the Internet or the yellow pages under “Maps”. The following websites can be used to locate a topographic map dealer: and which lists dealers in their respective province. The website allows the user to search a database for the map of the area of interest using either a clickable map of Canada, NTS number query, or geological name or co-ordinate query. The maps that are available include 1:50,000 or 1:250,000 scale maps both offered in either a paper or waterproof tyvek material. The 1:50,000 scale topographic map is the most detailed map available in Canada. Prices for topographic maps range from $10.45 for paper to $14.95 for tyvek. Topographic maps are also available on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM and other navigation software that is required can be found at The prices for CD-ROM maps range from $69.95 for regions, to $469.95 for an entire province set. Delivery time ranges from 5 days to 2 weeks depending on the location of the distributor. Every month the Canadian Map Office of the Centre for Topographic Information distributes a list of new and revised National Topographic System maps. Regional Distributors are responsible for maintaining, servicing and expanding the network of map dealers world-wide.
- Utility Company Records
Locating underground connections are important when performing Phase I of an ESA. It is as easy as calling Ontario One Call (Utility notification service) at 1-800-400-2255. This service is available for all of Ontario to locate gas lines, telephone, cable, hydro, pipelines, and sewers. Ontario One Call will request the necessary information from the applicant and will contact the local utility company in that area. Within a week, the connection will be located. Some locates can also be scheduled by contacting the local utility company directly. For further information, visit
Enwin Utilities is responsible for locating conduits underground. To have this done, the applicant would call 251-7303 (Underground Locating Service – Hydro) to discuss the information requested for a certain location. They check the maps and schedule a locator to meet with the applicant on site. The locator brings the drawings and spray paints the necessary areas. If the applicant is interested in obtaining a copy of the drawings, he/she can contact the office and request a copy. They keep all of the drawings in a library in the office (see bottom of page for address). The copies can be picked up at the office. There is no charge for copies of the drawings.
Water mains and services are handled by Windsor Utilities Commission. To locate underground pipes, the applicant would first schedule an appointment by calling 251-7302 (Underground Locating Service – Water). If the applicant is only interested in a small residential area, the company will send someone to mark the locations on the ground with blue paint. If the job is of a bigger scale, the company will request a meeting. At that time, drawings can be purchased for $10 per sheet and picked up at the office.
The Public Works department of the City of Windsor is responsible for sewers. Atlases are available for viewing only at the office. No appointment is necessary. If the applicant wishes to locate the connections for a specific property line, a sewer information sheet must be filled out at the cost of $21. It takes 24 hours to process this form.
Locating services are free of charge as they are considered a safety concern and they are guaranteed to be done within a week.
All LocatesHydro LocatesWater LocatesSewer Locates
Ontario One CallENWIN Utilities Ltd.Windsor Utilities CommissionCity of Windsor
1-800-400-2255787 Ouellette Avenue4545 Rhodes DrivePublic Work
Floor of City Hall
255-6275
- Waste Generators
a) Contact information:
Ontario Ministry of the Environment- Freedom of Information
Lydia Trzoch- (416)-314-4097
FOI website-
b) There are records available from 1985 and prior which are searched manually and from 1986 to present which are searched on databases. Depending on the time line you are requesting, the cost can vary.
Some of the information available are:
Environmental Concerns
Orders
Spills
Investigations/Prosecutions
Certificates of Approval for-Air, Water, Sewage, Waste water, Waste sites,
Waste systems and Pesticides.
Waste Generators- Numbers
Classes- Inorganic wastes
Organic wastes
Mixed wastes
Waste descriptions
Process descriptions
Waste Disposal/Management
c) The information requested from Freedom of Information can be obtained in paper format. However, if you happen to know the generator number and company, information can be downloaded from the HWIN-Hazardous Waste Information Network website- or call 1-866-494-6663.
d) Request form is available over the web-
Requests can be Faxed- (416)-314-4285 or
Mailed- Ministry of the Environment
Freedom of Information Office
40 St.Clair Avenue West, 9th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4V 1M2
The costs are: $5.00 non-refundable application fee
$30.00/hour for locating on-site and/or preparing any record
$0.20/page for photocopying
When the request form is received and the $5.00 fee is paid the Ministry assigns an FOI request number, the request date and the Ministry Response due date. The delivery time depends on how much information is requested and the timeline of the inquiry.
- Location of nearest Ontario Retail Gasoline Fuel Outlet
This information can be obtained from the EcoLog ERIS (Environmental Risk Information Services Ltd. This data is contained in the Provincial Government Source Databases. The database contains data collected by the Fuels Safety Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations prior to 1996. Data collected since this time was obtained by private sources. Included in this database is an inventory of retail fuel outlets that have on the premises gasoline, oil, natural gas, and waste oil and/or propane storage tanks.
The data can be accessed through the Internet at the user must apply for a user identification name and password. This can be obtained by filling out a short questionnaire (name, address, etc.). Reports can then be ordered online and will be shipped to the client either within 48 hours or in 4-7 business days. The cost of the service depends on the types and numbers of databases searched, ranging from $115 for a site-specific report to $295 for a Complete Report, which includes all adjacent properties within a ¼ km radius. The database of interest would be the Retail Fuel Storage Tanks database under ‘Other’ databases ERIS covers, as part of the standard package. One can also have the fire Insurance Maps of the IAO searched for an extra $105 (per site) plus a $25 research fee.
One can also contact the company directly at 1-800-268-7742 ext. 2105, or write to EcoLog ERIS at 1450 Don Mills Rd. Toronto ON M3B 2X7. Local phone: 416-442-2105. Fax number 416-442-2917.
Additional Contacts:
Todd Latham (General Manager) – 416-442-2185
Lee Scarlett (Sales & Services) – 416-442-3804
Delivery Options include fax, regular mail, Internet or overnight courier.
Please see attached documents for additional information.