Disposal at sea: service standards and fees

We issue permits for the disposal of non-hazardous substances into the sea. We have service standards and fees for the timely processing and delivery of your disposal at sea permit and for disposal site monitoring.

Application and payment procedures 

Please follow the procedures below to ensure we can assess and issue your permit.

Prior to sending a permit application, please contact your regional Disposal at Sea Program office to obtain:

• A permit number

• Name of your permit officer

• Instructions for application and permit fee payment

No cheques should be mailed to your regional office.

Fees for disposal at sea permits

A non-refundable application fee must accompany every application.

A permit fee is payable for every 1000 cubic metres (m³) of dredged or excavated material to be disposed as follows:

• the first half is due prior to publication of the permit in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Registry
• the second half is due at the halfway point of validity of your permit

As of 2019, the Service Fees Act has required an increase each year on April 1 in accordance with the previous year’s Consumer Price Index. Effective April 1, 2026, fees will increase by 1.7%* as follows:

*The Directive on Charging and Special Financial Authorities requires the rounding down of fees as reflected for the 2026-2027 fee rates.

Application and permit fees for each permit will be at the rate applicable on the date you submit your application. Where a refund is payable upon expiry of the permit, it will be paid out at the same rate at which you paid your permit fee.

Service standards

When you apply for a disposal at sea permit, a decision on the application will be made:

• within 90 days after you have been advised in writing that your application is complete, or
• in the case of a permit renewal, within 45 days after you have been advised in writing that your application is complete

Where more information and any further consultation are needed during the application assessment process, the review timeline will be suspended until the information has been provided and any consultation completed. 

We also commit to timely processing and notification of permit fee payments:

• within 45 calendar days, we will acknowledge receipt of your payment

Per the requirements of the Service Fees Act, ECCC will remit to applicants a part of their fees if Environment and Climate Change Canada does not meet the applicable performance standard.  For full details, please see the Remission Policy for Service Fees.