Phase II ESA and Risk Assessment for the City of Welland Fire Hall and Emergency Services Training Centre

The City of Welland will conduct a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and Risk Assessment (RA) on a prominent downtown 3.2 hectare former industrial site. The site is a portion of the former Atlas Steel South Plant which has been vacant since 2003 and was purchased by the City in 2017. The site has been chosen as the location of the new City of Welland Central Fire Hall and Emergency Operations Centre. Phase I ESA information concluded that there are numerous Areas of Potential Environmental Concern (APEC) due to the site’s long history of steel manufacturing and that a Phase II ESA is required to delineate contamination. Results of the Phase II ESA and RA will inform appropriate risk management measures (RMM) to safely manage soil and groundwater contamination mitigating potential risks to human and environmental health. By taking a risk management approach, the City will divert waste from landfill and reduce associated transportation related GHG emissions. Several indirect benefits will be realized upon the construction of the proposed LEED Silver Certified Central Fire Hall and Emergency Operations Centre which will consolidate three current antiquated fire halls into one central location. Sustainable building design will improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption. Community safety will be improved through enhanced emergency response time while the City will benefit economically by leveraging existing service infrastructure and repurposing or selling the current fire hall properties. This initiative is aligned with objectives outlined in the City’s Official Plan and Brownfield Community Improvement Plan. Design and operation of the new fire hall facility will follow the City’s Urban Design Guidelines (adopted in 2014). Public and Stakeholder consultation was included as a part of site selection for the overall fire hall project and will be incorporated throughout subsequent phases. A cross-disciplinary project team comprised of staff from key municipal departments will oversee the initiative. The remediation and reuse of a legacy brownfield site for a major municipal facility is innovative for the City of Welland and may provide a good example for other Canadian municipalities to follow. Once completed, this initiative will produce the following deliverables: Phase II ESA, Risk Assessment (Tier 2 or 3), Risk Management Plan and depending on type of RA required, a Record of Site Condition. (Project description from original funding application)