Glossary of Reclamation and Remediation Terms Used in Alberta – 7th edition

This glossary was originally prepared in 1994 at the request of the Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee (RRTAC) to provide those working in the field of reclamation in Alberta with a standardized set of definitions for reclamation terms. Use of standardized terms helps improve understanding of plans, criteria, guidelines, and research proposals and results.
For soils terms, the Glossary of Terms in Soil Science (Canada Department of Agriculture, Research Branch, 1976) has been used as the primary reference. Wherever possible, Alberta-based definitions have been included.
The definitions are laid out as follows:
1. The term being defined in bold.
2. Similar or related terms cross-referenced in the glossary in italics.
3. The definition. In some cases, there are multiple parts to a definition; these are shown as (1), (2) etc.
In other cases, there is more than one definition given.
The first definition is the one most commonly used in Alberta. Some definitions are from regulatory documents (Acts, regulations) and are labeled as such.
The updated glossary reflects increased work in the oil sands, native species, native prairie pipelining, and site remediation areas. Several new acronyms have been added and the acronyms’ listing has been divided into categories (technical, administrative, organizations/committees, and legislation).