The impacts of soil contamination in Montréal are primarily economic and financial. The high cost of decontamination hinders reconstruction and favours the development of land with little or no contamination, which is mostly located outside of Montréal.

Soil contamination is a major challenge in light of the City’s desire to consolidate the urbanized territory by building on vacant lots and rehabilitating certain sites. Many of these lots are located in former industrial areas and are subject to varying degrees of contamination, which increases reconstruction costs. Rehabilitation costs are even higher for former industrial sites to be converted to residential use, as the Plan calls for in certain areas.

Information concerning soil contamination in Montréal is still incomplete. The City intends to create a database of contaminated or possibly contaminated sites.

The funding provided by the Québec government through its Revi-Sols program has been essential. Under the program, approximately half of the rehabilitation costs borne by private developers and the Ville de Montréal in the course of their real-estate projects were reimbursed. The City considers government funding to be essential for rehabilitating contaminated sites in order to consolidate the urban fabric.