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The Quebec government will adopt a regulation that will allow it to know in real time where contaminated soil is being shipped from, where it’s going, its quantity and what routes will be used to transport it.

Companies that don’t follow those rules will see their fines increased, ranging from $350 to $3 million depending on such factors as the gravity of the offence and whether it’s a first offence.

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The basics of the regulation were unveiled Friday in Montreal by Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette, who praised the proposed tracking system as a “unique solution in Canada” to monitor the shipments.

Charette condemned the fact that illegal dumping of contaminated soils “had lasted for decades” and that previous governments had not dealt with the problem.

According to ministry officials, all parties involved in the shipment of contaminated soil would have to record the origin, chain of possession and final destination of the cargo.