OFA made key recommendations regarding the Excess Soil Management regulatory proposal to ensure our agricultural lands are never compromised through inappropriate excess soil reuse. OFA insists prime agricultural lands be afforded the same protection as provided to environmentally sensitive areas under the regulation. OFA strongly recommended that a justification study be an absolute requirement for any excess soils, including topsoil, being deposited at a reuse site that is in an agriculturally-designated portion of a municipality. OFA also called for additional soil testing and in-person compliance inspections. OFA requested that water quality and quantity impacts be assessed as part of an Excess Soil Management Plan. OFA stated that no salt impacted soils should be reused on agricultural land unless remediated to remove any salt contamination. OFA recommended MOECC and MMA financially assist municipalities to develop effective site alteration by-laws combined with effective by-law enforcement. Given clean excess soils could help to rehabilitate pits and quarries, OFA also recommended MOECC work with MNRF on forthcoming changes to the Aggregate Resources Act’s Regulations, Operating Standards and Policies.